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LSP's Ear to the Ground

LSP's Ear to the Ground

by Brian DeVore, Land Stewardship Project

Education Natural Sciences

Ear to the Ground 404: Closing the Loop

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 Ground 370: Bending the Bird Curve • Ear to the Ground 275: Blurring the Bobolink Boundaries

Ear to the Ground 403: Values on the Table

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

Ear to the Ground 402: Enemy of Good

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

Ear to the Ground 401: The Belly of Belief

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

Ear to the Ground 400: Small Farms, Big Markets

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

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

Ear to the Ground 398: Land Grant Guarantee

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 Place to Address a Critical Problem

Ear to the Ground 397: Black Energy

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

Ear to the Ground 396: Accountable Ag

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 disappeared” • Researcher’s Analysis of Nov. 2025 Iowa Farm Bureau Statement on Water Quality • LSP Blog: The Crop Insurance Conundrum • PNAS Paper: “The Extent of Soil Loss Across the US Corn Belt” • ISU CARD Analysis: “Cover Crop Adoption Decelerates and No-till Area Stagnates in the I-States”

Ear to the Ground 395: The Lobe Rangers

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 Insurance Conundrum • Researcher’s Analysis of Nov. 2025 Iowa Farm Bureau Statement on Water Quality • PNAS Paper: “The Extent of Soil Loss Across the US Corn Belt” • ISU CARD Analysis: “Cover Crop Adoption Decelerates and No-till Area Stagnates in the I-States”

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