Land Stewardship Project

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Factory Farms

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Factory farms pose a serious threat to the health and well-being of rural communities. These large-scale industrial operations push family farmers off the land and put independent producers out of business. Local economies suffer as more and more land is consolidated into fewer and fewer hands. Factory farms also pose numerous environmental hazards — such as water pollution, noxious odors, and toxic air emissions — that greatly impact the health of nearby residents.

Yet, for decades, Land Stewardship Project members have used the power of local democracy to stop factory farms and build more vibrant rural communities. Through local control, townships and counties can block unwanted development, planning instead for projects that put the land and the people first.

LSP members have also worked at the state level for policies that hold factory farms accountable to higher standards. For example, members fought for policies that control hydrogen sulfide emissions and require factory farms to build covered, concrete lined basins for hog manure lagoons.

A recent blog on a factory farm fight LSP is currently involved in highlights what is at stake and what can be accomplished when community members make their voices heard.

Click Here to Get Involved with
Factory Farm Organizing

Check Out Our Latest Action Alerts

LSP Powerline Story Center

Do you care about the future of your rural community? Do you want to be heard? Submit your story to LSP’s Powerline Story Center today!

The Winona County Factory Farm Fight

During the past three years, a dairy CAFO in Minnesota’s Winona County has made repeated, unsuccessful attempts to force through an unprecedented expansion that could have profound negative impacts on the community. A major reason that, despite backing from powerful interests, Daley Farm has not been successful in ignoring common sense rules is that Winona County residents have repeatedly made their voices heard. Their message is  clear: exceeding the animal unit cap is not good for the land, water, family farms, or rural communities. Check out this page for more on their fight.

Take the Pledge: Say NO to Factory Farms

In the Upper Midwest, we know how special the land that sustains us is. Factory farms jeopardizes not only the land itself but the communities that rely on it. They threaten the water and land with pollution, force small to mid-sized farmers out of business, and weaken local economies. Join other LSP members in taking the “No to Factory Farms” pledge today.

Factory Farm Resources

• Manual: Protecting Your Township From Unwanted Development: A Guide for MN Townships on Using the Interim Ordinance

• Myth #57: Abusive Work Conditions are ‘Essential’ to Heading off a Meat Famine

• Myth #60: CAFO Digesters are a Good Public Investment

• Myth #56: Mega-Dairies = Mega-Benefits for Rural Communities

• The Money Pit: How Minnesota Property Taxpayers are Subsidizing Factory Farms

• Fact Sheet: Factory Farming’s False Promise

• Fact Sheet: Hometown Factory Farm Fighting

• Fact Sheet: Hydrogen Sulfide and Factory Farms

• Fact Sheet: Writing a Letter to Your Newspaper: Putting pen to paper can be a powerful media tool

Related Posts

  • Comments Needed: New MPCA General Feedlot Permits

    July 3, 2024

    On Monday, June 24, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) opened a public comment period for Minnesotans to respond to proposed changes to two permits…

    Action Alerts
    CAFOs, factory farms, feedlot permits, feedlots, karst, manure, MPCA, water pollution, water quality
    Comments Needed: New MPCA General Feedlot Permits
  • Support Lowered Environmental Review Thresholds for Manure Digesters

    April 19, 2024

    Every three years, the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (EQB) publishes an updated Mandatory Category Report detailing project types that require environmental review in our state…

    Action Alerts
    CAFOs, clean water, Environmental Quality Board, factory farms, manure, methane digesters
    Support Lowered Environmental Review Thresholds for Manure Digesters
  • community holding signs against factory farms

    LSP Applauds State Supreme Court’s Rejection of Daley Appeal

    March 19, 2025

    LEWISTON, Minn. —  The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) applauded the Minnesota Supreme Court’s recent decision to deny a Winona County factory farm owner’s attempt to…

    News Releases
    Big Ag, CAFO, Daley Farm, factory farm, local control, local democracy, nitrate pollution, Winona County
    LSP Applauds State Supreme Court’s Rejection of Daley Appeal

Contact:

Matthew Sheets, LSP organizer
e-mail, 612-767-9709

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      • Soil Health & Climate Change
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      • Factory Farms
        • Anti-Competitiveness & Price Gouging
        • LSP Powerline Story Center
      • Federal Policy
        • A Farm Bill For Us
      • State Policy
        • MN Farm, Food & Climate Funding
      • Developing Leadership
    • Justice & Stewardship
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  • Building People Power

Upcoming Events

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May 2025

Thursday May 15

5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
MN Women in Conservation
Thursday May 15
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
MN Women in Conservation
42652 County Rd 7, Belview, MN 56214, USA

NOTE: REGISTRATION IS CLOSED FOR THIS EVENT
 
Come out and play with MNWiC and Renville County Soil and Water Conservation District. Tour Iverson Tree Farm, learn from other women land stewards, and meet local Master Gardeners and conservation professionals who can help with your own land dreams.
 
For details and to register, click here.
 
 

Saturday May 17

11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Community Plant & Seed Swap
Saturday May 17
11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Community Plant & Seed Swap
Lift Bridge Brewing, 1900 Tower Dr W, Stillwater, MN 55082, USA

Lift Bridge Brewing Co. and Sustainable Farming Association are partnering to host a free seed and plant swap and fundraiser at Lift Bridge’s taproom in Stillwater. Vendor opportunities available. 
 
Details here.

Tuesday May 20

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Webinar on Agrivoltaics: Sheep Solar Grazing Producer Panel
Tuesday May 20
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Webinar on Agrivoltaics: Sheep Solar Grazing Producer Panel
Zoom Virtual

Participants will hear from sheep producers about their experiences, along with the benefits and challenges of grazing sheep under solar panels. This webinar is part of a series about cattle and sheep solar grazing and growing forages or grain crops under solar panels.
 
For details and to register, click here.

Thursday May 29

9:00 am – 12:30 pm
Storytelling for Sales: Digital Marketing for Sustainable Farmers
Thursday May 29
9:00 am – 12:30 pm
Storytelling for Sales: Digital Marketing for Sustainable Farmers
Zoom Online

Storytelling for Sales: Digital Marketing Best Practices to Get Your Farm’s Next Customer is designed to help farmers grow their customer base by sharpening their storytelling and digital marketing skills—whether they’re selling through farmers’ markets, CSAs, or direct-to-retail. This Greener Pastures and Meet the Minnesota Makers workshop will cover how websites and social media can actually convert viewers into buyers to creating content that builds community loyalty.

This workshop is also designed for ag educators, professionals, and partner organizational staff who support farmers directly and want to be well-versed on the marketing best practices to support direct-to-consumer farms. 

For details and to register, click here.

Saturday May 31

10:00 am – 12:30 pm
Multi-species Pasture Walk
Saturday May 31
10:00 am – 12:30 pm
Multi-species Pasture Walk
872 320th Ave, Frederic, WI 54837, USA

The NW Wisconsin Graziers Network, River Country RC&Dand UW-Madison Extension invite you to a multi-species pasture walk hosted by JohnsonFamily Pastures LLC. The farm is located five miles east of Frederic in PolkCounty. This educational event willemphasize direct marketing, multi-species grazing, part-time family agricultureand silvopasture development. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided.

TheJohnson Family Pastures farm is home to Chris and Tamara Johnson and their twochildren. They raise grass-fed beef, silvopastured goats, and recently raised anumber of other species. The farm consists of about 160 acres of gently rollingpastures, silvopasture, and forest. Use of both temporary polybraid fencing andhigh tensile permanent fences allow for rotational grazing of small ruminants andout-wintering of beef cattle. Use of long-term farm transition strategies, cost-shareprograms, silvopasture development with goats, regenerative grazing, cattlehandling facility and bale grazing will be discussed along with answering anyand all questions from pasture walk participants.

An extensive and diversified direct marketing programhas been developed by Tamara and Chris that has included farmer markets, e-maillists, newsletters, website ordering, on-farm freezer storage, and other strategiesand tools to support direct sales and services for their customers.  Come and learn all about their successfulapproach.

For more information,contact Chris Johnson at 920-960-4475 or Lynn Johnson 715-225-9882 at NW Graziers.

View Full Calendar

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