LSP's Ear to the Ground

How a small, rural school district is taking a trial run at sourcing food from local farmers.More Information:• MDA Farm to School & Early Care Programs & Grants • Report: Building the Farm to School Network in West Central Minnesota • LSP’s Community-Based Food Systems Web Page • Ear to the Ground 385: A Longer Local Lunch Season • Ear to the Ground 322: Lunchroom Stewardship

Jeanine Bowman believes having locally produced food on her school’s menu shouldn’t be a special occasion — it should be a daily part of nourishing kids while supporting the farm economy.More Information:• MDA Farm to School & Early Care Programs & Grants• Report: Building the Farm to School Network in West Central Minnesota• LSP’s Community-Based Food Systems Web Page• Ear to the Ground 386: A Farm to School Taste Test• Ear to the Ground 322: Lunchroom Stewardship

Ag antitrust expert Austin Frerick sees the current food system as a mechanism for modern robber barons to treat rural communities as mere “extraction colonies.” But, he argues, changing how we eat isn’t enough — we need to disrupt how power is distributed all along the food chain (2 of 2 parts).More Information:• Austin Frerick’s website• View video of Nov. 4, 2025, LSP Event Featuring Sonja Trom Eayrs & Austin Frerick: “Big Ag, Big Problems: A Panel on Rural Consolidation”• Ear to the Ground podcast with Sonja Trom Eayrs: “Corporate Vs. Community”

Sonja Trom Eayrs started out writing about her own family’s fight against factory farms. She ended up telling a larger story of corporate capture of rural communities (1 of 2 parts).More Information:• Sonja Trom Eayrs’s website• View video of Nov. 4, 2025, LSP Event Featuring Sonja Trom Eayrs & Austin Frerick: “Big Ag, Big Problems: A Panel on Rural Consolidation”• Ear to the Ground episode with Austin Frerich: “Power Play”

LSP’s Local Democracy Challenge is a reminder that we can’t allow democracy to grow dormant between elections.More Information:• LSP’s Local Democracy Challenge Web Page • Land Stewardship Action • Ear to the Ground Podcast 341 Featuring Land Stewardship Action

Chris MacLeod came to Mill City hoping to source local grain while pursuing his passion for baking. When confronted with the reality of the export-driven commodity system, he doubled down on connecting with local farmers.More Information:• Laune Bread• Baker’s Field Flour & Bread• LSP’s Small Grains Web Page• Ear to the Ground 379 with pioneer miller Gilbert Williams• Ear to the Ground 377 with Sandhill Mill• Summary of “Bringing Small Grains Back to Minnesota” Networking Meeting on Aug. 2, 2025, in Madison, Minn.

Amy Rager wasn’t thrilled about moving from the North Woods to the land of grass. But three decades later, she’s an impassioned advocate for this treeless biome. More Information:• Minnesota Master Naturalist Program • Land Stewardship Letter review of Sea of Grass • Ear to the Ground episode 258: Prairie’s Horizontal Grandeur • LSP Soil Builders Web PageYou can find LSP Ear to the Ground podcast episodes on Spotify, Pandora, iTunes, YouTube, and other podcast platforms.

Gilbert Williams is a pioneer in processing local grains for local markets. His advice? Go stand in the field, put your name on the package, and tell your story.More Information:• Ear to the Ground 378 with Noreen Thomas • Ear to the Ground 377 with Peter & Brittany Haugen • Ear to the Ground 366 with Gary Zimmer • Summary of “Bringing Small Grains Back to Minnesota” Networking Meeting on Aug. 2, 2025, in Madison, Minn. • 2025 LSP Albert Lea Small Grains Workshop Presentations • Meadowlark Farm & Mill

Noreen Thomas got into organic crop farming almost three decades ago as a way to produce healthy food and survive economically. Today, she’s the mentor she never had.More Information• Register for LSP’s “Bringing Small Grains Back to Minnesota” Networking Meeting on Aug. 2, 2025, in Madison, Minn.• Doubting Thomas Farms• 2025 LSP Albert Lea Small Grains Workshop Presentations

When Peter and Brittany Haugen sought to diversify their western Minnesota crop farm, they realized there was little infrastructure available to support small grains. So they forged their own link in the food chain by launching Sandhill Mill.More Information• Register for LSP’s “Bringing Small Grains Back to Minnesota” Networking Meeting on Aug. 2, 2025, in Madison, Minn. • Sandhill Mill • 2025 LSP Albert Lea Small Grains Workshop Presentations

One farmer says he benefits from grazing publicly-managed wildlife habitat. But what does a natural resource professional think about bringing bovines into a natural biome? More Information:• Hoosier Ridge Ranch • LSP’s Grazing & Soil Health Web page • MN DNR Whitewater Wildlife Management Area

From crunching the numbers to developing relationships with public and private landowners, Eric Heins of Hoosier Ridge Ranch isn’t afraid to question the status quo when it comes to grazing livestock.More Information:• Hoosier Ridge Ranch • LSP’s Grazing & Soil Health Web page

LSP members and allies spoke out during the 2025 session of the Minnesota Legislature. It paid off in the form of support for local food markets, farmland access, and soil health.More Information:• Blog: Wrap-up of 2025 Legislative Session • LSP’s State Policy Web Page

These are tumultuous times for immigrants, but COPAL’s Ryan Perez sees hope in grassroots organizing and making basic, human-centered connections.More Information:• COPAL • Radio Jornalera • LSP’s Justice & Stewardship Web Page • LSP’s Long Range Plan: 2025-2030

The Wild Farm Alliance is out to prove that thriving wildlife habitat and working farmland are not mutually exclusive — in fact, they can make great partners.More Information• Wild Farm Alliance• The Farm as Natural Habitat• LSP’s Ear to the Ground 371: Avian Award• LSP’s Ear to the Ground 370: Bending the Bird Curve• LSP’s Ear to the Ground 275: Blurring the Bobolink Boundaries

The owners of Keewaydin Farms see birds as not only a source of natural pest control but as a sign they are doing something right.More Information:• Keewaydin Farms • Wild Farm Alliance • LSP’s Ear to the Ground 370: Bending the Bird Curve • LSP’s Ear to the Ground 275: Blurring the Bobolink Boundaries

The feathered residents of America’s grasslands are in big trouble, but Audubon ecologist Krysten Zummo sees regenerative grazing as a way for bovines to benefit birds.More Information:• Audubon Conservation Ranching Program• Krysten Zummo Contact Information• LSP Grazing & Soil Health Page• The Monitoring Tool Box• Wild Farm Alliance• Keewaydin Farms• LSP’s Ear to the Ground 371: Avian Award• LSP’s Ear to the Ground 275: Blurring the Bobolink Boundaries

Ka Zoua Berry says supporting a future generation of farmers who don’t fit the traditional Midwestern stereotype isn’t just about building a resilient farm and food system. It’s also about building resilient communities.More Information:• Big River Farms • Emerging Farmers Conference • Farmland Access Hub • LSP Farmland Clearinghouse

An extractive economic system is decimating and dividing our rural communities. Now, more than ever, we need solidarity, says Cristina Ortiz.More Information• LSP’s Community-Based Food System Web Page • LSP’s Justice & Stewardship Web Page • LSP’s Policy Campaign Page

Mastering the market is no easy task for a cutting-edge perennial grain. What lessons have the staff at Forever Green learned from their work with Kernza?More Information:• Forever Green Initiative• Blog: Don Wyse’s Land Grant Legacy• Ear to the Ground 365: Perennial Pivot• Ear to the Ground 229: Kernza’s Continuous Cover• Wrap-Up of LSP’s 2025 Small Grains Workshop• LSP Soil Health Web Page