Ear to the Ground 400: Small Farms, Big Markets

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 [https://landstewardshipproject.org/farmbeginnings/] (2026-2027 Early Bird Discount Deadline Aug. 1, 2026; Final Deadline Sept. 1, 2026) • Riverbed Lamb [https://www.riverbedlamb.com/]

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 [https://thegoodacre.org/] • LSP’s Community-Based Food Systems Program [https://landstewardshipproject.org/community-food/] • Ear to the Ground 399: Asking Why [https://landstewardshipproject.org/podcast/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 [https://www.turniprock.com/] • LSP’s Farm Beginnings Course [https://landstewardshipproject.org/farm-beginnings-class/] • Farmland Access Holistic Financial Decision-Making Tool [https://landstewardshipproject.org/wp-content/uploads/Farmland-Access-Booklet_9_13_18.pdf]

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 [https://misa.umn.edu/] • Endowed Chair in Agricultural Systems [https://misadocuments.info/EndowedChair/endowed.html] • Opinion: Funding Cuts Hit Sustainable Agriculture Partnership with U of M [https://www.startribune.com/cfans-program-budget-cuts-university-of-minnesota/601467220] • Blog: Don Wyse’s Land Grant Legacy [https://landstewardshipproject.org/don-wyses-land-grant-legacy/] • Blog: Endowed Chair Puts the Right People in the Right Place to Address a Critical Problem [https://landstewardshipproject.org/breaking-the-meat-processing-bottleneck/]

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 [https://books.google.com/books/about/Soil_and_Survival.html?id=-f47baRgvhEC] • Planting in the Dust Script [https://landstewardshipproject.org/planting-in-the-dust/] • Joe Paddock [https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/joe-paddock] • Joe Paddock’s Books [https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/26783.Joe_Paddock] • Nancy Paddock [https://www.tpt.org/portrait/video/june-4-1991-14523/] • Carol Bly [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Bly] • Making Change from the Ground Up: 40 Stories for 40 Years of Land Stewardship Project [https://landstewardshipproject.org/product/making-change-from-the-ground-up-40-stories-for-40-years-of-land-stewardship-project/]