Leading the way: farmers in SW Minnesota to discuss extreme weather and adaptation

Land Stewardship Project organizer Rebecca Terk White sent Bluestem the following notice of an event next Monday, March 16 in Lamberton, Minnesota, along a with that she and her husband, writer and photographer John G. White will be "bringing the "snirt show" aka The Art of Erosion" to the meeting.

The Whites live in rural Big Stone County where they keep chickens and the excellent blog, Listening Stones Farm.

 The invitation:

Erratic and extreme weather plays havoc with farmers’ plans and bottom lines. That’s why farmers and others in the southwest Minnesota ag community are invited to hear about weather and climate trends and innovative agricultural practices to adapt to them at an event on Monday, March 16 at the U of M Southwest Research and Outreach Center in Lamberton.

The event, titled Farmers Lead the Way, will feature Extension Climatologist Mark Seeley overviewing changes he has seen in rainfall events, drought and heat waves in Southwest Minnesota over the past three decades, and Jerry Hatfield from the USDA National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment in Ames, Iowa, who will kick-off discussions about innovative ag practices designed to adapt to the changing weather.

In this highly interactive convening, participants will have the chance to share innovations they have created or are contemplating, with an emphasis on adaptations at the home, farmstead and community levels. There is no charge for attending the convening, which includes lunch, but registration is limited to 100 people. Advanced registration is requested at z.umn.edu/adpt.

Farmers Leading the Way
Monday, March 16, 2015
9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
U of M SW Research and Outreach Center
23669 130th Street, Lamberton, MN 56152 (directions)
Event is free but advanced registration is requested

Farmers Leading the Way is organized by the Southwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, one of five partnerships that connect communities with the resources of the University of Minnesota to drive sustainability in Greater Minnesota, and hosted by SWROC. The Lamberton event is one of five planned Greater Minnesota climate change adaptation convenings to be held by the Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP)with support from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and NCR-SARE.

Photo: Snirt in West Central Minnesota by John G. White, via Listening Stones Farm. Used with permission.

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