Ear to the Ground Podcast

Farm Beginnings grad Queen Frye just wants to raise food — even if she doesn’t resemble a famous Scottish farmer. More Information • Land Stewardship Letter Profile: The Fifth ‘R’ • R. Roots Garden • LSP’s Farm Beginnings Course You can find LSP Ear to the Ground podcast episodes on Spotify, Pandora, iTunes, and other podcast…  Read More → Source

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 → Source

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 → S...

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 → Source

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 → Source

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 → Source

Aimee Haag is proving that farm-to-school arrangements can benefit kids, communities, and farmers…one tomato at a time. More Information • MDA Farm-to-School & Early Care Grants • Minnesota Farm-to-School Program • LSP’s Community-Based Food Systems Web Page • LSP Blog: 2023 Minnesota Legislative Session Wrap-Up  You can find LSP Ear to the Ground podcast episodes on Spotify,&#8230...

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 → Source

An innovative program for promoting soil health and extending the grazing season came at just the right time for farmer Alan Bedtka. More Information • Ear to the Ground No. 326: Rooting Out Nitrates • Land Stewardship Letter article on Olmsted County Groundwater Protection & Soil Health Program • LSP’s 2023 Field Day Special Report:…  Read More → Source

Scott Elkins talks about why he is excited to join LSP’s staff as its executive director, and why the organization is well-placed to make a positive difference in creating a farm and food system based on integrity. More Information • Release: LSP Names New Executive Director • LSP’s Long Range Plan — Vision for the Future: 5 Year…  Read More → Source

Farmer Mike Seifert is realizing that building a solid soil house is not enough — he also has to stock its pantry. More Information • LSP’s Soil Microbiology Web Page • Ear to the Ground 297: Web of Willing Workers • Ear to the Ground 292: Working the Microbes • LSP’s Soil Health Web Page…  Read More → Source

Adam Griebie’s agricultural stewardship ethic has been bolstered by federal farm policy, but there’s room for improvement. More Information • LSP’s 2023 Farm Bill Platform • LSP’s Federal Policy Web Page You can find LSP Ear to the Ground podcast episodes on Spotify, Pandora, iTunes, and other podcast platforms. Source

Agronomist David Kleinschmidt says dealing with extreme weather on the farm requires compromise, even when it means taking a temporary step back on soil health. More Information • LSP’s Soil Health Web Page • LSP’s 2023 Field Day Special Report: “A Long, Hot Summer” • LSP’s Ear Dirt Soil Health Series • Ear to the…  Read More → Source

Dana Seifert sees the healthcare system as being in the midst of a major drought, and it’s bleeding dry farmers and the rural communities that rely on them. More Information • LSP’s Healthcare Web Page • Ear to the Ground 310: Healthy Farmers, Healthy Land • Blog: Organizing Secures Key Wins for Rural Healthcare in…  Read More → Source

Jordan and Rachelle Meyer are using goats to add value to marginal land…one thistle at a time.  More Information • LSP’s Soil Health & Grazing Web Page • LSP’s 2023 Field Day Special Report: “A Long, Hot Summer” • Wholesome Family Farms Web Page • Wholesome Family Farms’ Grazing YouTube Page • LSP’s 2023 Pasture…  Read More → Source

A pasture walk on the Nikki and Cody Meyer farm shows the value of farmer-to-farmer learning.  More Information • LSP’s Soil Health & Grazing Web Page • LSP’s 2023 Field Day Special Report: “A Long, Hot Summer” • Nikki Meyer’s Grazing YouTube Page • LSP’s 2023 Pasture Walk Schedule You can find LSP Ear to…  Read More → Source

Dr. Liz Haney says a truly regenerative farming system starts with a regenerative way of measuring soil health. More Information • LSP’s Soil Health Web Page • LSP’s 2023 Field Day Special Report: “A Long, Hot Summer” • Soil Regen • The Haney Test for Soil Health • Land Stewardship Letter Article: Digging into a…  Read More → Source

Humble Hands Harvest’s entry into agroforestry is being supported by its vegetable operation — setting the stage for a new approach to farming a rugged landscape long into the future. More Information • Humble Hands Harvest • Savanna Institute • Sustainable Iowa Land Trust (SILT) • LSP’s Farm Beginnings Course • Ear to the Ground podcast 227: From…  Read More → Source

Paula Williams talks about why healthcare reform matters to LSP and its allies, and, after 15 years of hard work and organizing, what advances were made on the issue during a recent session of the Minnesota Legislature. More Information • LSP blog detailing recent healthcare wins at the Minnesota Legislature • LSP’s Healthcare Web Page • Ear…  Read More → Source

Two Puerto Rican filmmakers talk about Stewards of the Land/Serán las dueñas de la tierra, which documents the stories of three beginning farmers as they build relationships and find creative ways to access land to grow food for their communities. June 4 Screening & More Information • Click here to RSVP to the Minneapolis, Minn., film screening/discussion on Sunday,…  Read More &#85...

Dave Pratt says most farms and ranches are just a collection of expensive assets and low-paying jobs. But such a dysfunctional business model is not inevitable. More Information • Ranch Management Consultants • LSP’s Soil Health & Grazing Page  • LSP’s Farm Beginnings Course • LSP’s Journeyperson Course • LSP’s Land Transitions Tools Page You can find…  Read More →...

Farm Beginnings and Journeyperson taught Melissa Driscoll that true sustainability starts not only with the soil, but with the person who’s stewarding it. More Information • LSP’s Farm Beginnings Course • LSP’s Journeyperson Course • Minnesota Farm Business Management Faculty • Seven Songs Organic Farm You can find LSP Ear to the Ground podcast episodes…  Read More → S...

How Farm Beginnings helped Hannah Frank and Justin Thomas whittle their enterprise “wish list” down to a sustainable size. More Information • LSP’s Farm Beginnings Course • Rue de Bungaloo Farm You can find LSP Ear to the Ground podcast episodes on Spotify, Stitcher, iTunes, and other podcast platforms. Source

LSP farmer-members talk about how the 2023 Farm Bill could benefit the land, people, and rural communities (2nd of 2 parts). More Information • Ear to the Ground 304: Policy for the People (1st installment in this series) • LSP’s Federal Policy Page • LSP 2023 Farm Bill Platform You can find LSP Ear to…  Read More → Source

Perhaps no single piece of legislation has a more profound impact on what our landscape and rural communities look like. That’s why LSP’s members are working hard to influence the 2023 Farm Bill (1st of 2 parts). More Information • Ear to the Ground 305: Farm Bill as a Public Good (2nd installment in this…  Read More → Source