LSP's Ear to the Ground

What do you do when your county has the highest cancer rate in the state and the local river experiences a catastrophic fish kill? Denise O’Brien, Larry Harris, and their neighbors responded by asking an important question: “What’s in the water?” (4th in a series on nitrates, farming, and water)More Information:• Nishnabotna Water Defenders • LSP’s Rethinking Nitrogen Campaign • 1st in the “Nitrates, Farming, and Water” LSP podcast series: “Run Silent, Run Deep” • 2nd in the “Nitrates, Farming, and Water” LSP podcast series: “ABG” • 3rd in the “Nitrates, Farming, and Wa...

Making sure 600,000 people are consistently consuming water that meets health standards for nitrates is Amy Kahler’s job. That’s a big challenge when the land upstream is some of the most productive crop ground in the country. (3rd in a series on nitrates, farming, and water)More Information:• 1st in the “Nitrates, Farming, and Water” LSP podcast series: “Run Silent, Run Deep” • 2nd in the “Nitrates, Farming, and Water” LSP podcast series: “ABG” • LSP’s Rethinking Nitrogen Campaign • LSP Blog: Rocket Surgery, Farming & Water • Des Moines Water Works • Currents of...

Nutrient management expert Matthew Helmers has researched how certain land use practices can have a “disproportionate impact” when it comes to nitrate pollution reduction. He says it all starts with focusing on a simple mantra: “always be growing.” (2nd in a series on nitrates, farming, and water)More Information:• 1st in the “Nitrates, Farming, and Water” LSP podcast series: “Run Silent, Run Deep”• 3rd in the “Nitrates, Farming, and Water” LSP podcast series: “Run Silent, Run Deep”• LSP’s Rethinking Nitrogen Campaign• Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy• LSP Blog: Rocket Surgery, Farming & Wate...

The MPCA’s Justin Watkins sees nitrates leaking out of farm fields as an “invisible” problem that’s all too easily ignored. The solution is to shine a spotlight on widespread systems changes in agriculture. (1st in a series on farming, nitrates, and water)More Information:• 2nd in the “Nitrates, Farming, and Water” LSP podcast series: “ABG”• 3rd in the “Nitrates, Farming, and Water” LSP podcast series: “Run Silent, Run Deep”• LSP’s Rethinking Nitrogen Campaign• Minnesota Nutrient Reduction Strategy• Southeast Minnesota Nitrate Strategies Collaborative Work Group• Minnesota Nitrate Concentrati...

Paul and Trudi Schaefer always assumed they would live out their lives on the farm they built up over several decades. When they realized they needed to move on, their first step was to take LSP’s Farm Transition Planning Course.More Information:• LSP 2027 Farm Transition Course • LSP Land Transition Tools • LSP Land Transition Profiles

Connecting directly with eaters is a priority for pastured-based livestock farmers Ellen and Jim Gardner. So how do they balance growing their market with keeping face-to-face relationships intact?More Information:• Gardner Family Farm • LSP’s Community-Based Food Systems Page • LSP’s Soil Health Page • LSP’s Farm Beginnings Page

When a federal immigration crackdown came to rural Minnesota, farmer Bridget Lux knew she had to do something. When she walked into a community meeting, she realized she wasn’t the only one looking to take action.More Information:• Contact Information for LSP Organizer Nick Olson • Immigrant Defense Network • LSP’s Justice & Stewardship Web Page • LSP’s Long Range Plan

Jordan and Rachelle Meyer had burning questions about how to pursue a new milk production path without upsetting their “three-legged stool.” So they invited members of an LSP Soil Health Hub onto their farm to debate the options. More Information:• Wholesome Family Farms • Meyer Podcast — Ear to the Ground 255: Embracing the Weed • Meyer Podcast — Ear to the Ground 291: Shovel Doesn’t Lie • Meyer Podcast — Ear to the Ground 314: Going for the Goat • Meyer Podcast — Ear to the Ground 342: Ignoring the Red Dress • Soil Hub Podcast — Ear to the Ground 404: Closi...

“How do I make this pasture pay?” beginning farmer Heidi Eger asked a group of fellow graziers during an LSP Soil Health Hub gathering. They answered by measuring out an ideal paddock and putting pen to paper.More Information:• Radicle Heart Farm • Ear to the Ground 265: Diving into Safer Waters • Ear to the Ground 405: High Voltage • Ear to the Ground 404: Closing the Loop • Farm Beginnings • LSP’s Soil Builders’ Network • Blog: Soil Health Hub Gathering Illustrates the Power of Dreams Anchored in Reality

Chad and Melissa Crowley are using managed rotational grazing, soil health, and solar arrays to create a good energy flow on the dairy farm they’re transitioning into. They are also utilizing LSP’s Soil Health Hub to field a few burning questions and recharge their batteries.More Information:• LSP’s Soil Builders’ Network • Blog: Soil Health Hub Gathering Illustrates the Power of Dreams Anchored in Reality • Ear to the Ground 404: Closing the Loop • Ear to the Ground 50: Why the Pond on this Dairy Farm Didn’t Overflow During a Rainstorm

Paul and Delores Moechnig are working to prove to the next generation that the road to farming’s future doesn’t have to pass through corn and soybean fields. It turns out the bluebirds and swallows appreciate the offramp they’ve taken into rotational grazing as well.More Information:• LSP’s Soil Builders’ Network• Blog: Soil Health Hub Gathering Illustrates the Power of Dreams Anchored in Reality• Ear to the Ground 391: Grounded in Grazing• Ear to the Ground 390: Sounds of Success• Ear to the Ground 371: Avian Award• Ear to the Gr...

Emily and Ryan Kjesbo-Johnson vowed their lifelong commitment to community would not stop when they moved out of their urban neighborhood and onto a farm. Farm Beginnings is helping them keep that promise.More Information:• LSP’s Farm Beginnings Course (2026-2027 Early Bird Discount Deadline Aug. 1, 2026; Final Deadline Sept. 1, 2026) • Crowded Table Farm • LSP’s “Fresh Voices” Beginning Farmer Podcast Series

Jane Marynik’s pursuit of perfection ran into a brick wall called vegetable farming. LSP’s Farm Beginnings has helped her strike a more sustainable balance between work and life.More Information:• LSP’s Farm Beginnings Course (2026-2027 Early Bird Discount Deadline Aug. 1, 2026; Final Deadline Sept. 1, 2026)• Four Beans Farm• Food Farm• LSP’s “Fresh Voices” Beginning Farmer Podcast Series

Livestock producer Frances Kelliher admits to being a bit cynical and burnt-out on her first day in LSP’s Farm Beginnings course. But the program helped revitalize her belief that regenerative grazing can renew one’s relationship with the land and community. More Information:• LSP’s Farm Beginnings Course (2026-2027 Early Bird Discount Deadline Aug. 1, 2026; Final Deadline Sept. 1, 2026) • Riverbed Lamb

Josh Bryceson sees The Good Acre food hub as a way to not only build markets for local vegetable producers, but to germinate the next generation of farmers (2 of 2 parts).More Information:• The Good Acre Food Hub• LSP’s Community-Based Food Systems Program• Ear to the Ground 399: Asking Why

A decade ago, veggie and livestock farmers Josh Bryceson and Rama Hoffpauir realized sweat equity would only take them so far in their ag journey, so they looked up from the grindstone long enough to take in the big picture (1 of 2 parts).More Information:• Turnip Rock Farm & Cosmic Wheel Creamery• LSP’s Farm Beginnings Course• Farmland Access Holistic Financial Decision-Making Tool

Over the past three decades, the rotating Endowed Chair in Agricultural Systems has provided farmers and others a chance to build a more sustainable farm and food system in Minnesota. Farmer and community leader Marvin Johnson says now is not the time to close that public door into the University.More Information:• Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture • Endowed Chair in Agricultural Systems • Opinion: Funding Cuts Hit Sustainable Agriculture Partnership with U of M • Blog: Don Wyse’s Land Grant Legacy • Blog: Endowed Chair Puts the Right People in the Right...

In 1986, Joe Paddock co-authored a book called Soil and Survival. Its message: the relationship between farming and the land is in serious need of repair. Four decades later, that message is more relevant than ever.More Information:• Soil and Survival • Planting in the Dust Script • Joe Paddock • Joe Paddock’s Books • Nancy Paddock • Carol Bly • Making Change from the Ground Up: 40 Stories for 40 Years of Land Stewardship Project

These three crop producers see no reason why productive farming and clean water can’t co-exist. But first, we need to stop the greenwashing and get our hands dirty. (2 of 2 parts; part 1 is here)More Information:• Ear to the Ground 395: The Lobe Rangers • LSP Soil Health Web Page • LSP Myth Buster No. 68: “When Nitrogen is Gone, it Can be Forgotten” • SARE Fact Sheet: “Cover Crops at Work: Keeping Nutrients Out of Waterways” • Article: “A report tied Iowa’s water pollution to agriculture. Then the money to promote it mysteriously disappea...

In the Corn Belt, water quality is not improving at a rate that is leading to meaningful landscape level change, and these poster boys for conservation farming say it’s time for the ag industry, commodity groups, and government to step up and take responsibility. (1 of 2 parts; part 2 here)More Information:• Ear to the Ground 396: Accountable Ag• LSP Soil Health Web Page• LSP Myth Buster No. 68: “When Nitrogen is Gone, it Can be Forgotten”• SARE Fact Sheet: “Cover Crops at Work: Keeping Nutrients Out of Waterways”• LSP Blog: The Crop Insur...