Are you a farmland owner who values good stewardship practices? Are you a farmer looking to invest in soil building on rented land? A workshop to help you act on your conservation values will be held Friday, Feb. 21, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at School Sisters of Notre Dame in Mankato (170 Good Counsel Drive). This workshop, which is being offered by the Land Stewardship Project (LSP), in partnership with the Living Earth Center, is for farmland owners, those inheriting a farmland investment and farmers who would like ways to invest in soil building on rented land. Participants are encouraged to bring their landowner/renter or attend independently. A suggested donation for the workshop is $20, which includes a noon meal and toolkit. You can register online or by contacting LSP’s Robin Moore at 320-269-2105, rmoore@landstewardshipproject.org.

The keynote speaker will be Kristin Brennan, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service assistant state soil scientist for Minnesota. The workshop will feature a fun tutorial on the basics of soil health, and details about resources as well as state and federal programs available that support conservation. There will also be a panel discussion involving farmers, landowners and Soil and Water Conservation District staff, who will field questions from workshop participants. Attendees will receive a toolkit of resources and ideas for farmland owners, tips for improving communication between owners and renters, and information on the Minnesota tax credit for selling/renting to beginning farmers.

Key discussion points include:

• What is the farmland legacy you will leave for the next generation?
• How do we enhance the productive value of farmland?
• Balancing short-term returns with investing in farmland as a productive asset.
• What’s the relationship between soil health, water quality and climate change?
• Creating opportunities for young farmers on the land.

Can’t make the workshops? Check out LSP’s Conservation Leases Toolkit at www.landstewardshipproject.org/conservationleasestoolkit.