Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with the Jóia Food & Fiber Farm, Savanna Institute, University of
Minnesota Forever Green, and the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), will host a field day Wednesday, Sept. 6, from noon to 2 p.m., at Wendy Johnson and Johnny Rafkin’s farm near Charles City.
The free event is open to farmers and landowners and includes a complimentary meal.
To RSVP, contact Liz Ripley at 515-294-5429 or
ilf@iastate.edu. For details, click here.

During this Organic Fruit Growers Association field day, Aaron Wills will lead the tour at Little Hill Berry Farm, focusing on organic production of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, as well as u-pick marketing and high tunnel berry culture. We will then move over to Keepsake Cidery. After lunch there, hosts Nate Watters and Tracy Jonkman will discuss successes and learning experiences in their organic production of both cider and eating apples and in making and marketing hard cider. Stay after the farm tour to socialize, talk organic fruit, and sample Keepsake’s ciders.Learn more and register.

Calling all women in agriculture who want to learn about soils and innovative soil solutions! The University of Minnesota Extension Women in Ag Network is hosting the Thriving Roots Field Day on September 8 at the U of M West Central Research and Outreach Center, 46352 Hwy. 329, in Morris, MN. It is designed specifically for women like you who are passionate about farm productivity through healthy soil and who want to bring ideas back to the farm. Learn to unlock the secrets of soil health and empower yourself to make informed decisions about sustainable soil management practices.

This Extension Women in Ag Network event will be from 8:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, September 8. For details and to register go to:z.umn.edu/Sept8.

Join the LSP and the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition for this free field day where you’ll hear farmers and soil health experts talk about: assessing soil health, utilizing the Haney test, keeping cover crops simple, Setting your equipment up for soil health, and moisture infiltration research. Location: Tom Cotter’s Farm, 50203 205th St, Austin MN 55912. To register, click here.

Join us for the 3rd Annual Hemp & Food Health Field Day. At this free event, we will explore beneficial plants and the importance of them to our health. Lunch will be provided and we’ll wrap up the day with socializing and networking at the Hemp Beer Social. Location: Tom Cotter’s Farm: 50203 205th St., Austin, MN 55912. To register, see the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition website.

A family-oriented free event featuring a farmers’ market, live music all day, renewable Energy Fair, nonprofit exhibitors tent, educational demonstrations and much more. Stop on by the Land Stewardship Project’s table while you are there. Details here.

Dayna Burtness runs Nettle Valley Farm in Spring Grove, Minn. With help from her husband Nick Nguyen, Dayna finishes about 75-80 pigs each year on diverse, pollinator-oriented annual and perennial pastures using a barn-plus-pasture hybrid model. Nettle Valley Farm also has an incubator farm program, pastured egg layers, and seasonal brush goats.

Lunch will follow the field day.

Sponsored by:

• Practical Farmers of Iowa
• Albert Lea Seed
• Nofence
• Riverside Feeds, LLC

See & Discuss:

• Pastured pigs
• Wagon wheel hub pasture design
• Supporting pollinators with goats and pigs
• Nofence collars on goats

For details, click here.

In September 2023, join the Farmland Access Hub, the Land Stewardship Project, and other partners for events that will feature networking and learning related to financial and technical resources for beginning and transitioning farmers.

​These events will provide opportunities to:

• Learn more about the Farmland Access Hub and partner resources.
• Learn about financing options and alternative/collaborative methods of accessing land.
• Network with farmers, aspiring farmers, and landowners in your region.
• Tour a farm or ag-related business that is interested in providing farmland access options.

On Sept. 10, one of these events will be held at My MN Farmer in Montgomery, Minn.Attendees will gather at the farm for the learning session from 2 p.m.–5 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided by the St. Peter Food Co-op. At the conclusion of the event, participants may stick around for an optional farm tour or head to Montgomery Brewery for networking from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. For details and to register, click here.

In September 2023, join the Farmland Access Hub, the Land Stewardship Project, and other partners for events that will feature networking and learning related to financial and technical resources for beginning and transitioning farmers.

​These events will provide opportunities to:

• Learn more about the Farmland Access Hub and partner resources.
• Learn about financing options and alternative/collaborative methods of accessing land.
• Network with farmers, aspiring farmers, and landowners in your region.
• Tour a farm or ag-related business that is interested in providing farmland access options.

On Sept. 12, one of these events will be held at Vines & Rushes Winery in Ripon, Wis. Attendees will engage in the learning and networking session from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., with an optional vineyard tour to follow. Light snacks and a complimentary beverage will be provided during the event. Additional food and beverage will be available for purchase from the winery. For details and to register, click here.

In September 2023, join the Farmland Access Hub, the Land Stewardship Project, and other partners for events that will feature networking and learning related to financial and technical resources for beginning and transitioning farmers.

​These events will provide opportunities to:

• Learn more about the Farmland Access Hub and partner resources.
• Learn about financing options and alternative/collaborative methods of accessing land.
• Network with farmers, aspiring farmers, and landowners in your region.
• Tour a farm or ag-related business that is interested in providing farmland access options.

On Sept. 12, one of these events will be held at Green Island Preserve in Wadena, Minn. Attendees will gather at Green Island Preserve for the learning session from 1 p.m to 5 p.m. At the conclusion of the event, attendees may participate in a community apple pressing and are encouraged to bring apples.Please contact Kent Sheer for details.

For details and to register, click here.

In September 2023, join the Farmland Access Hub, the Land Stewardship Project, and other partners for events that will feature networking and learning related to financial and technical resources for beginning and transitioning farmers.

​These events will provide opportunities to:

• Learn more about the Farmland Access Hub and partner resources.
• Learn about financing options and alternative/collaborative methods of accessing land.
• Network with farmers, aspiring farmers, and landowners in your region.
• Tour a farm or ag-related business that is interested in providing farmland access options.

On Sept. 12, one of these events will be held at Oliver Kelley Farm in Elk River, Minn. During this Land Stewardship Project event, attendees will engage in a learning and networking session from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. A tour of the Oliver Kelley Farm and discussion about the values that led this operation to consider working with emerging farmers will follow. This example will seed a broader conversation about landowner/landseekers insights and questions. Locally sourced refreshments will be provided during the event.

For details and to register, click here.

Cover crops, small grains, and soil health will be the focus of this free field day, which is sponsored by the Olmsted County and Dodge County Soil and Water Conservation Districts, USDA NRCS, and Oatly. A burger supper will follow the event and Oatly ice cream will be offered to registrants. Speakers include: Martin Larsen, an Olmsted County farmer and soil health expert; Steve Lawler, a soil scientist; TJ Kartes of Saddle Butte Ag; Landon Plagge, an Iowa oat farmer; and Tom Pyfferoen, a Dodge and Olmsted county farmer.

For more information, contact Olmsted County SWCD staffer Shona Langseth at 507-328-6905 or shona.langseth@olmstedcounty.gov. Register by Sunday, Sept. 10. To register, click here.

Interested in exploring the new world of cannabis production and how the new legislation will affect your current business operations? Then plan to attend the Minnesota Green Industry Cannabis Forum on Wednesday, Sept. 13, for a full-day educational forum on the cannabis growing industry. This will take place at the Columbia Golf Course Manor in the Saint Anthony neighborhood of Minneapolis (3300 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418).

This event is sponsored by the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association. Topics include marketing and selling, insurance and banking, cultivation, and more. There will be networking opportunities throughout the day, as well as an ask-the-expert break-out session. Snacks and lunch provided.

To register, click here.

Prior to his untimely passing in May 2023, regenerative ag pioneer Dave Brandt was working to launch a farmer-led learning center. An effort is now underway to bring his vision to life at the Sinsinawa Mound Center in southwestern Wisconsin and we want you to be part of it. Presentations will be given by Jay Brandt, Rick Clark, Loran Steinlage, and Jimmy Emmons.

Join us from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.(Registration/Networking from 7 a.m.– 8:30 a.m., program begins at 9 a.m.)on Thursday, Sept.14for an inclusive look at agriculture today. Activities will include:

• An interactive discussion about how to move forward together toward great soil health.
• A tour of the Sinsinawa Mound grounds and an overview of how a farmer-led learning center can be realized.
• A premiere viewing of the movie, “Common Ground” (sequel to “Kiss the Ground”) with an open discussion afterward.

For more information and to register, click here.

If you want to learn more about one of the Land Stewardship Project’s Farm Bill priorities — strengthening the safety net for small, mid-sized, and diversified farms — join us for a special Farm Bill Friday Crop Insurance Webinar via Zoom on Friday, September 15, at 12 p.m. Register here.

In recent months, Land Stewardship Project members have been raising concerns about anaerobic manure digester proposals around Minnesota. Our members were particularly concerned about large-scale proposals from the company Nature Energy, a subsidiary of Shell Oil.

LSP members recently received news thatShell Oil and Nature Energy have indefinitely suspended all building projects in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

This is good news for now. However, due to Winona County’s proximity to natural gas pipelines and the volume of manure produced by industrial feeding operations,there is still a high risk of manure digesters being proposed in the region.

Biodigesters have negative consequences… Do your research, says Bethany Erck, a farmer from Centerville, South Dakota, who currently lives next to a large-scale manure digester. Had I known just how bad [digesters] are before the one near me was built, I would have fought the permit process with any and all resources I had, she adds.

If you would like to hear more about how digesters could possibly impact our communities, farmers, land, and water in the future, please attend our

“Digesting the Facts: A Community Conversation About Manure Digestersevent atthe Lewiston Community Center in Lewiston, Minn., on Monday, Sept. 18, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.During this conversation, you will hear from a group of people with a deep knowledge of digesters and digester proposals.

Panelists at the event include:

• Kim Dupre,a respected environmental advocate with a deep understanding of anaerobic manure digester projects in the Upper Midwest.
• Vance Haugen, a dairy farmer from Fillmore County with a background in manure digesters.
• Bethany Erck, a farmer from Centerville, South Dakota, who currently lives next door to a large-scale, anaerobic manure digester.
• Tim Ahrens, a Lewiston-Altura High School grad and lifelong Winona County resident leading efforts against large-scale, corporate-owned digester proposals in Winona County.

Admission to the event is free and open to the public. To register and to secure your spot, please visitthis linkor just show up. We look forward to seeing you there.

FeaturedSpeakers will include KrystenZummo, conservation manager for AudubonMN, and Aaron Bishop of Responsible Agriculture in Karst Country (RAKC).

Join Krysten for the morning hike for a little late season birding and learn how managed grazing and bird habitat are linked.

Aaron’s presentation will consist of a broad overview of Karst Country and the Driftless Region beginning 450 million years ago to now. His presentation will cover modern concerns and challenges the region faces that directly result from the geological history of the region and current land use practices.

For details and to register, click here.

For details on other GrassWorks events, click here.

Nathan Vergin (St. Charles, Minn.) will host. See and discuss stockpiling forage for late season grazing.

To register, click here.

Ruth Conniff, the author of Milked: How an American Crisis Brought Together Midwestern Dairy Farmers and Mexican Workers, will speak at the Red Wing library on Saturday, Sept. 23, starting at 10 a.m. The event is co-sponsoredby the library as well as Hispanic Outreach of Goodhue County. It is the sponsors’ intent to provide adult education and inform the public about the importance of immigrant workers who engage in work at local dairy farms in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

To read a review of Milked, see a recent issue of the Land Stewardship Letter.