LEWISTON, MN — Transitioning to no-till, planting green into cover crops, using a triticale cover crop as dairy cattle feed, and using cover crops after corn, soybeans and silage, will be the focus of a Land Stewardship Project (LSP) field day Thursday, September 1, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., near Lewiston. Farmers Everett Rolfing and Robb Miller will host this free event, which will begin at the Rolfing farm (25409 Almon Dr.) before heading to the Miller farm (25924 Co. Rd. 25). To reserve your spot, contact LSP’s Maura Curry at (651) 249-6308 or mcurry@landstewardshipproject.org, or visit bit.ly/LSPFieldDay.
Directions: From Highway 14 through Lewiston, turn south onto County Road 25, then turn left on Morning Glory Drive, and left again onto Township Road 11. Rolfing’s farm will be on the right and marked with LSP signs.
Everett Rolfing has been experimenting with no-till and cover crops for the past decade, and now does it on 100% of his acres. He broadcasts rye seed in the fall and plants green into the resulting cover crop in the spring.
Robb Miller farms with his brother and they raise corn, soybeans and alfalfa, as well as run a dairy. Robb prioritizes keeping something green and growing throughout the year by planting triticale as a cover crop and for cattle feed, and planting green in the spring.
“I started out doing no-till to reduce erosion on my farm, but now the soil health benefits and financial profit from no-tilling blows my mind,” said Rolfing.
For information on other LSP soil health workshops and field days being held in the region this summer, see https://landstewardshipproject.org/upcoming-events/.
In 2022, the Land Stewardship Project is celebrating 40 years of work “keeping the land and people together” in areas like Winona County. For details on LSP anniversary events, see https://landstewardshipproject.org/40th-anniversary-events.