What we've been up to . . .

Inside the SFA Midwest Grazing & Soil Health Summit

The SFA Midwest Grazing & Soil Health Summit brought together farmers, conservation partners, and industry leaders for two days of learning and connection. From practical grazing sessions to keynote insights from Temple Grandin, the event highlighted how livestock, soil health, and farmer innovation work together to build resilient farms and landscapes.

Read our full recap from the summit and hear what attendees had to say.

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Livestock Grazing Workshop in Beautiful Baudette!

MNGLCA joined the Lake of the Woods SWCD for a Producer Livestock Workshop in Baudette, connecting with passionate producers and a great lineup of presenters. Highlights included updates on NRCS resources, feedlot rule revisions, water quality certification, and MDA grant tips. MNGLCA's Leah Matzke also unveiled our new  Grazing Mentorship Program  → View Post

Making the Most of Each Acre - Winter Integration

Farmers recently gathered in Dassel, MN for a University of Minnesota Extension workshop focused on integrating livestock into cropland systems. Participants explored practical strategies for improving soil health, grazing cover crops, and building more resilient farm operations. MNGLCA was pleased to support this excellent event. Read the full recap and highlights from the event  → View Post

Items of Interest

Rangeland Wildflowers Feed Livestock and Pollinators

It may be hard to think about spring with snow coving the state, but it’s just around the corner. As pastures wake up, native wildflowers play an important role—providing nutrition for livestock while supporting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

Read more about the value of wildflowers on working lands here. 

Thank you to Lisa Gelvin-Innvaer, Reg. Nongame Wildlife Specialist with the Minnesota DNR’s Nongame Wildlife Program, for sharing this with us.

State-funded study looking for managed pasture 

UofM Extension is seeking pasture and cropland sites in south-central to southwest Minnesota (click on the map above for research area) for a 2026 soil health research project studying how different land management practices affect water movement and soil structure. Participating landowners will host two short sampling visits during the growing season and after harvest and will receive $1,000 in compensation. 

Interested in learning more or volunteering a site? Contact Dr. Anna Cates at catesa@umn.edu.

Upcoming Events

MNGLCA is excited to be preparing a variety of field days for this summer. Watch for details as we roll them out next month — including two exciting collaborations: one with Nofence and another with the Upper Mississippi River Audubon Society.

In the meantime, make plans to join us this May/June for GrazeHERS 2026:

Support Conservation Grazing

Paying for a membership or event? It just got easier. We now accept Google Pay, Venmo, and PayPal in addition to our existing payment methods.

We value the knowledge and experience within this community. If you have a question, idea, or grazing story you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you.  Thank you for being part of MNGLCA and for the work you do every day to steward Minnesota’s grazing lands.

Our work is made possible through the generous support of our sponsors
and the NRCS—thank you!