LSP's Ear to the Ground

Myron Sylling approaches farming from a no-nonsense, cause-and-effect point of view. So, he asks, if a reliance on heavy dosages of fertilizer is costing producers money while polluting our water, what’s keeping us from building a less nitrate-tainted farming system? (last in a series on nitrates, farming, and water)

More Information:

• LSP’s Rethink Nitrogen Campaign

• Other Episodes in LSP’s Rethink Nitrogen Podcast Series

• LSP Blog: Rocket Surgery, Farming & Water

• LSP Video: Myron Sylling & No-Till Planter Set-Up

Lance Petersen feels strongly that as agriculture’s regulatory future related to nitrate pollution is being debated, one thing is certain: farmers like himself need to be in the room, at the table, and taking part in the discussion. (part of a series on nitrates, farming, and water)

More Information:

• LSP’s Rethink Nitrogen Campaign

• Other Episodes in LSP’s Rethink Nitrogen Podcast Series

• Lower St. Croix River Watershed Partnership Farmer Mentors

• Lance Petersen on X

• LSP Blog: Rocket Surgery, Farming & Water

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?” (part of a series on nitrates, farming, and water)

More Information:

• LSP’s Rethink Nitrogen Campaign

• Other Episodes in LSP’s Rethink Nitrogen Podcast Series

• Nishnabotna Water Defenders

• LSP Blog: Rocket Surgery, Farming & Water

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. (part of a series on nitrates, farming, and water)

More Information:

• LSP’s Rethink Nitrogen Campaign

• Other Episodes in LSP’s Rethink Nitrogen Podcast Series

• LSP Blog: Rocket Surgery, Farming & Water

• Des Moines Water Works

• Currents of Change: An Analysis of the Raccoon and Des Moines Rivers in Central Iowa

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.” (part of a series on nitrates, farming, and water)

More Information:

• LSP’s Rethink Nitrogen Campaign

• Other Episodes in LSP’s Rethink Nitrogen Podcast Series

• Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy

• LSP Blog: Rocket Surgery, Farming & Water

• Matthew Helmers Contact Information

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. (part of a series on farming, nitrates, and water)

More Information:

• LSP’s Rethink Nitrogen Campaign

• Other Episodes in LSP’s Rethink Nitrogen Podcast Series

• Minnesota Nutrient Reduction Strategy

• Southeast Minnesota Nitrate Strategies Collaborative Work Group

• Minnesota Nitrate Concentration Trends Study in Hydrology Journal

• LSP Myth Buster #68: When Nitrogen is Gone, it Can be Forgotten

• Ear to the Ground 395: The Lobe Rangers

• Ear to the Ground 396: Accountable Ag

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: Closing the Loop

• Soil Hub Podcast — Ear to the Ground 405: High Voltage

• Soil Hub Podcast — Ear to the Ground 406: Pasture Peers

• LSP’s Soil Builders’ Network

• Blog: Soil Health Hub Gathering Illustrates the Power of Dreams Anchored in Reality