Lapeer Conservation District

10/07/2026

🌳 A little learning, a lot of creativity at Project RED!

Lapeer Conservation District enjoyed teaching local third graders about the importance of trees—from providing shade and wildlife homes to protecting soil and water and supplying things we use every day.

Then students put their creativity to work decorating their own tree cookies! Take a look at some of their colorful creations. Each one became a special keepsake from our time together. 🎨🪵

Students also received a white pine seedling to take home. Thank you to the family of Lon Kenny for donating these trees in his memory and honoring his love of conservation. 💚

Thank you to the organizers, teachers, volunteers, and students who made Project RED possible. We loved helping these young learners discover how much trees do for us!

09/30/2026

🍁📸 Show us what fall looks like through your lens!

The Lapeer Conservation District’s Fall Photo Contest is open to youth and adults from any county. Capture a favorite fall scene and submit one photo per contestant for a chance to win an LCD T-shirt!

Submissions close December 1. Find the details and enter here: https://forms.gle/dnqnCG4ZfPb1os3A6

We can’t wait to see your photos! 🍂

09/29/2026

Some words from one of our speakers after our Regen Ag Event a couple weeks ago!

Don’t ever quit.

A couple weeks ago I was invited to speak at a regenerative farming conference put on by the Lapeer Conservation District.

I put together a presentation about The WildWoods. Where we started, what we’re trying to accomplish with the soil, how we use livestock, the different systems we’re experimenting with and, probably most importantly, the things we’re still trying to figure out.

It was a great experience.

What made it even more interesting was the room.

There were crop farmers there managing 1,500 acres. Another around 2,500 acres organically. People who have spent decades farming at a scale that makes our little operation look pretty tiny.

Most weren’t doing rotational livestock agriculture like we are. A few were experimenting with regenerative practices. Some had tried different pieces of it. Others were there because they were curious about where all of this is going.

That made the conversations afterwards probably more valuable to me than the presentation itself.

Different farms. Completely different scales. Different equipment, economics and challenges. But a room full of people trying to understand how we can build healthier soil and make agriculture work better.

Then something happened that I haven’t really stopped thinking about.

After the presentation, the wife of one of the older farmers came up to me. Sweet older lady. We talked briefly about the farm and some of the things we’re trying.

Before she walked away she looked at me and said:

“Don’t ever quit. You’re very innovative.”

And for whatever reason, that hit me hard.

You know that feeling when you’ve been holding a lot together and somebody gives you a hug at exactly the right moment?

Or somebody simply says, “Good job,” and suddenly you realize how badly you needed to hear it?

It was like that.

She probably had no idea.

Because farming can feel incredibly lonely sometimes.

You’re constantly making decisions with incomplete information. You’re looking at weather forecasts, fuel bills, equipment repairs, seed costs, livestock, pasture recovery and a winter that’s coming whether you’re ready for it or not.

Money gets tight.

Plans don’t work.

You make mistakes.

Sometimes you’re trying to repair something in the soil that took twenty or thirty years to get where it is, and you’re standing there wondering whether anything you’re doing is actually making a difference.

Then you wake up and do it again.

That’s part of what I talked about during the presentation too. We treat this farm like a living experiment. Observe something. Form a theory. Try it. Measure what happens. Learn from it and adjust.

Sometimes we’re right.

Sometimes we’re spectacularly wrong.

But we keep moving.

And I think that’s why those four words landed the way they did.

Don’t ever quit.

Not because everything we’re doing is right.

Not because we’ve figured farming out.

Hell, the longer I do this the more questions I seem to have.

But someone who has spent a lifetime around agriculture looked at what we’re trying to build and saw something worth encouraging.

Sometimes that’s all a person needs.

So I’ll pass her words along.

Maybe you’re staring at the books right now wondering how you’re going to make the numbers work.

Maybe this season kicked your ass.

Maybe you’re trying something nobody around you really understands yet.

Maybe you’re planning for winter and wondering how you’re going to get everything done before the weather changes.

Or maybe you’re not farming at all. Maybe you’re just building something difficult and wondering whether you’re crazy for continuing.

Don’t ever quit.

Keep learning. Keep questioning. Keep trying things. Help the person next to you when you can. And every once in a while, tell somebody they’re doing a good job.

You may have absolutely no idea how badly they needed to hear it.

I know I didn’t.

09/22/2026

🌱 What a great evening of learning, conversation & connection! 🌱

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Regenerative Agriculture: Learn, Eat, Network! We loved seeing local farmers, conservation professionals, partners, and community members come together to learn, share experiences, ask questions, and enjoy a meal together.

A huge thank you to our speakers and participants who helped make the evening possible!

🌾 Jenna Falor, MSU Extension shared information about cover crops and their role in nutrient and w**d management.

🐄 Chris Kamyszek, The WildWoods Farm talked about regenerative pasture management and shared his experience with rotational grazing and soil health.

🚜 Our Local Farmer Panel — Mark Schlaud, Randy & Regina Eschenberg, and Kent Schrieber — brought valuable real-world experience to the conversation, sharing their experiences with long-term no-till and cover crops, incorporating livestock on cropland, and conservation practices on organic farms.

We are incredibly grateful to Mark, Randy, Regina, and Kent for taking the time to share their knowledge, experiences, successes, and challenges. Hearing directly from local producers is such an important part of conversations about conservation and soil health!

💧 We also got to see soil health in action with demonstrations including the rainfall simulator and slake test, showing just how much management practices can influence how our soils respond to water.

🍽️ And a special thank you to Big Joe’s Pizza, Chicken, Ribs, Seafood for providing a delicious dinner for everyone! Great food makes an evening of learning and networking even better!

💚 We also want to thank the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) for funding this event and helping us provide educational opportunities like this to our local agricultural community.

Most importantly, thank you to everyone who attended! We hope you left with a new idea, a new connection, or simply a little more curiosity about regenerative agriculture and soil health.

We look forward to bringing more agricultural education, conservation opportunities, and opportunities to connect to Lapeer County!

🌱 Healthy Soil • Strong Farms • Strong Communities

09/21/2026

🌲 LAST CALL FOR FALL TREE SALE ORDERS! 🌲

Tomorrow is the deadline! ⏰

All Lapeer Conservation District Fall Tree Sale orders must be placed by 4:00 PM tomorrow, Tuesday, September 22.

🌲 Fall Sale: Conifer Transplants Only
📅 Order Deadline: Tuesday, September 22 at 4:00 PM
💻 Order Online: www.lapeercd.org
📞 Order by Phone: 810-664-0895 ext. 5

If you’ve been meaning to place your order, don’t wait! Once the store closes at 4:00 PM tomorrow, fall orders will no longer be accepted.

Thank you for supporting the Lapeer Conservation District and our annual tree sale! 🌱🌲

Get those last-minute orders in before 4 PM tomorrow!

Help Lapeer County conserve and enhance natural resources through educational programs and professional services. Call (810) 664-0895 ext.5.

09/08/2026

🌲 DON’T FORGET — FALL TREE SALE ORDERS ARE DUE SOON! 🌲

There’s still time to place your order with the Lapeer Conservation District Fall Tree Sale, but don’t wait too long!

📅 Order Deadline: Tuesday, September 22nd

Ordering is easy:

🌐 Order online: www.lapeercd.org
📞 Order by phone: 810-664-0895 ext. 5

Help support local conservation efforts while adding trees to your property! 🌲🍂

Place your order by September 22nd so you don’t miss out!

Please share this post with friends, family, and neighbors who may be interested!

08/27/2026

🌱 Calling local farmers, landowners & anyone interested in soil health! 🌱

Join the Lapeer Conservation District for an evening of learning, eating & networking at our upcoming Regenerative Agriculture event!

📅 Tuesday, September 15th
⏰ 5:30–8:30 PM
📍 Lapeer Township Hall – 1500 Morris Rd., Lapeer

🍽️ FREE to attend + FREE buffet dinner!

Come hear from MSU Extension, local farmers, The WildWoods Farm, and Lapeer Conservation District as we dig into real-world regenerative agriculture practices.

Topics will include:
🌾 Cover crops for nutrient & w**d management
🐄 Regenerative pasture management
🌱 Long-term no-till & cover crops
🐮 Incorporating livestock on crop ground
🚜 Conservation on organic farms
💧 Hands-on soil health demonstrations, including a rainfall simulator & slake test
📱 Yester & Morrow — an app for regenerative rotational grazing and soil health

This is a great opportunity to ask questions, learn from other farmers, share experiences, enjoy dinner, and connect with others in our local agricultural community.

⚠️ SEATS ARE LIMITED! Registration closes September 7th.

👉 Register here:
https://www.eventcreate.com/e/lcdregenerativeag

Know someone who would enjoy this event? Tag them below or share this post with them! 🌱

08/25/2026

🌲 Don’t Forget to Order from Our Fall Conifer Tree Sale! 🌲

Fall planting season is right around the corner, and there’s still time to place your order with the Lapeer Conservation District!

Our fall sale features CONIFER TRANSPLANTS ONLY 🌲—a great option for adding evergreens to your property for wildlife habitat, windbreaks, privacy, erosion control, and conservation plantings.

⏰ DON’T MISS THE DEADLINE!

🗓️ The online store closes Tuesday, September 22 at 4:00 PM!

🌐 Order online at www.lapeercd.org or stop in or call our office at 810-272-9149.

Quantities are limited, and varieties may sell out before the deadline, so be sure to get your order in early!

💚 Your tree sale purchase helps support the conservation programs and services of the Lapeer Conservation District right here in our community.

🌲 Visit www.lapeercd.org to place your order today!

Please SHARE and help us spread the word to landowners, neighbors, friends, and family! 🌲

Help Lapeer County conserve and enhance natural resources through educational programs and professional services. Call (810) 664-0895 ext.5.

08/21/2026

📸 Calling All Lapeer County Photographers! 🌿

Do you love capturing the beauty of agriculture, nature, and conservation through your camera? The Lapeer Conservation District is inviting local photographers to participate in the 2026 Conservation Photo Contest!

You don’t have to be a professional photographer—we want to see conservation through YOUR eyes! 🌎📷

👥 Two Divisions
🌱 Youth Division: Ages 18 & younger
🌳 Adult Division: Ages 19 & older

📸 Photo Categories

🌾 Conservation Practices
Capture conservation at work—cover crops, crop rotation, contour buffers, wetland restoration, riparian buffers, nutrient management, and more!

🐝 Close-up Conservation
Get up close with soil health, water, insects, farm animals, irrigation, earthworms, roots, composting, and other details that tell a conservation story.

🚜 Agriculture + Conservation Across America
Showcase barns, crops, livestock, grazing, pastures, tree farms, youth conservation activities, and the connection between agriculture and conservation.

🌱 Conservation in Action
Capture people making a difference! Photos might include field days, educational programs, farmers, landowners, conservation staff, volunteers, irrigation projects, meetings, and more.

📌 Photo Requirements
Photos should be submitted as a JPEG, PNG, or TIFF and should be high resolution (300 dpi or higher).

📅 DEADLINE: October 1, 2026

📧 Submit your photos or direct questions to [email protected].

Whether you’re taking photos on the farm, in your backyard, along a trail, or while participating in a conservation project, we’d love to see what conservation looks like in Lapeer County! 💚

Grab your camera or phone, head outside, and start looking for your perfect shot! 📸🌾🐝🌳

Please SHARE this post and help us spread the word throughout Lapeer County!

08/20/2026

Household Hazardous Waste Collection for LAPEER COUNTY RESIDENTS
Pre-Registration is REQUIRED.

Household Hazardous Waste Collection for LAPEER COUNTY RESIDENTS
Pre-Registration is REQUIRED.
Please follow the MSU Extension- Lapeer County page to keep updated on a variety of events.