by The Land Connection Staff As we enter our eighth week working from home, The Land Connection staff has begun to get restless. Our pets, children, partners, and gardens (or lack thereof) have been both a comfort and a distraction. Here are some of our musings on life in isolation. Cassidy Spring is a pretty […]
Blog
Local Grain is Having a “Moment”
by Alyssa Hartman, Artisan Grain Collaborative The Artisan Grain Collaborative is a network of organizations and individuals working throughout the Upper Midwest grain value chain to create a regenerative grainshed in our region. For years, consumers have considered fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and meat a part of their local food system while grains – crops […]
Edible (Native) Landscaping: Dandelion
by Erin Harper, University of Illinois Extension Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) originate from Europe but have been naturalized in North America. Many people regard them as a lawn weed, though their culinary popularity is growing. Dandelions are a perennial plant that produces thousands of seeds per plant and can regrow from pieces of taproot. It is […]
Effective Farm Succession Planning, by Art Littlefield
By Art Littlefield In conjunction with Lincoln Financial Advisors Agribusiness Services Farmers invest significant amounts of time, energy, effort, and money to make their farms successful. Quite often, due to the demands of field work, planting, spraying, harvest, equipment maintenance, etc., planning for succession is a low priority. All too frequently the memory is that, […]
Edible (Native) Landscaping
by Erin Harper, University of Illinois Extension There are several native plants that are great for landscaping and can provide food. These include nuts from trees such as maple, pecan, and hazelnuts; fruits such as ground cherry, persimmon, and plums; berries: blackberries, raspberries, and elderberry; leafy greens; roots: chicory, garlic, and sassafras; and many more. […]
Managing Risk: Community Over Crisis [in the age of COVID-19]
by Katie Funk and Jeff Hake, Funks Grove Heritage Fruits and Grains We were supposed to present at a workshop last week, hosted by The Land Connection and led by Farm Commons. At the root of this workshop was risk management: forecasting and evaluating risks and then taking steps to minimize their impact. The topics […]
