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From Entomology to Economics
March 5, 2020 @ 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
- aromano@landstewardshipproject.org
The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) will host a workshop called, “From Entomology to Economics: Building Soil Health with Jonathan Lundgren” on Thursday, March 5, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Caledonia. It will feature presentations by Lundgren and a southeast Minnesota farm panel featuring farmers Jordan Meyer, Aaron Gillespie, and Connor McCormick. The cost is $15 per person ($10 for an additional farm partner, and $30/family), which includes a noon meal featuring a local foods lunch catered by Estelle’s. To register by March 3rd, contact LSP’s Alex Romano at 507-523-3366 or via e-mail.
This workshop will also be offered in Goodhue on March 6th.
A challenging and provocative presenter, bound to make us think and see things in a new way… Jonathan Lundgren is an agroecologist, entomologist and beekeeper. He received his PhD in Entomology from the University of Illinois in 2004 and was a top scientist with USDA Agricultural Research Service for 11 years. Lundgren’s research and education programs focus on assessing the ecological risk of pest management strategies and developing long-term solutions for regenerative food systems. Together with his family and laboratory team, he began Blue Dasher Farm in 2016 in Deuel county South Dakota where a team of dedicated people raise livestock, crops, and keep bees. Lundgren will present on his team’s efforts to…
· Research ecologically based pest and farm management solutions that reduce disturbance and increase biodiversity,
· Educate farmers, the public and future scientists on regenerative farming practices, and
· Address the financial feasibility of regenerative agricultural practices on a working farm
According to Gabe Brown, regenerative farmer from North Dakota, “Dr. Lundgren’s talk reinforced for me the importance of thinking of my farm as an ecosystem, and in so doing, providing a home for beneficial insects, both predators and pollinators.”
Caledonia Farmer Panel: Jordan & Rachelle Meyer, Caledonia — grass-fed beef, pastured pigs and poultry, incorporating goats, organic row crops, small grains, managed rotational grazing, graze multi-species covers, Aaron Gillespie, Fountain — conventional/organic row crops, small grains, cover crops, hay, canning peas, beef, built an interseeder & interseeds covers on last cultivation pass into organic corn, managed rotational grazing, experimenting with interseeding covers into 60 inch corn, Connor McCormick, Caledonia — row crops, beef, broadcasting cover crop with fertilizer on 50 acres, working towards all no-till, incorporating spring calving on covers