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2024 Minnesota Legislative Session Wrap-Up 

Soil Health, Water Quality, Emerging Farmers, Regional Foods Supported; Factory Farm Controls Stall; Stage Set for 2025

By LSP’s Policy Team
May 20, 2024

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As the clock struck midnight on Sunday, the Minnesota Legislature concluded its 2024 session. During the past few months, lawmakers primarily focused on revenue-neutral policy changes and some targeted funding of specific programs. During the session, Land Stewardship Project members made some progress on advancing our priorities and built a strong foundation to hit the ground running with larger proposals in 2025.  

LSP members were particularly successful around time-sensitive issues, such as the southeastern Minnesota water quality crisis and the prioritization of emerging farmers within Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) programs. It’s clear that the hard work of LSP and our members paid off in some areas. It’s also clear we need to continue to build power and shift the public narrative in other areas, particularly in addressing the root causes of consolidation, water pollution, and climate change. 

Policy Accomplishments 

Land Access & Emerging Farmers 

  • The Legislature kept the existing definition of an emerging farmer intact and maintained its use within the Emerging Farmers Office, Emerging Farmers Working Group, Beginning Farmer Tax Credit, Technical Assistant Grant Program, and The Good Acre’s Local Emergency Assistance Farmer Fund (LEAFF) Program. Learn more about this issue in our recent blog here.
  • Lawmakers ensured the final language changing prioritization for the Farmland Down Payment Assistance Program and Beginning Farmer Equipment and Infrastructure Grants work for emerging farmers and organizations serving emerging farmers. The Farmland Down Payment Assistance program will now prioritize eligible applicants who raise specialty crops, hemp, and/or cannabis, and/or had gross farm profit of $100,000 or less the previous year.
  • The Beginning Farmer Equipment and Infrastructure Grant program will now prioritize eligible applicants experiencing limited land access or limited market access. “Limited land access” is defined as an individual farming without ownership of land who a) is under a lease or other rental arrangement of no more than three years (the person leasing or renting the land must not be related to the lessee or renter by blood or​ marriage) or b) rents land from an incubator farm where a majority of the farmers grow specialty crops, cannabis, and/or hemp. “Limited market access” is defined as an individual who grosses no​ more than $100,000 per year from the sale of farm products.
  • An additional $300,000 for Beginning Farmer Equipment and Infrastructure Grants will now be available.

Soil Health 

  • The Legislature provided an additional $495,000 for the Soil Health Financial Assistance Program, targeted for southeastern Minnesota, where the need for widespread adoption of soil health practices is most urgent to address the nitrate pollution crisis.
  • It’s now assured that equipment purchased through a Soil Health Equipment Grant may be rented to neighbors.

Regional Food Systems 

  • There is now an additional $125,000 for the Farm to School and Early Care Program.
  • Lawmakers clarified that in-home childcare providers are eligible for the Farm to School and Early Care Program.

Water Quality in Southeastern Minnesota 

The Minnesota Legislature took signifi­cant steps forward to ensure that southeast­ern Minnesotans have safe drinking water — a direct result of a petition to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that LSP signed onto with partner organizations calling for immediate action on the nitrate crisis facing the region. LSPers in southeastern Minnesota have laid the groundwork for this action for decades by speaking up about nitrate pollution in their communities. While more work needs to be done to clean up our aquifers and address the root causes of nitrate pollution, it’s exciting to see the Legislature take action on this issue. Lawmakers passed: 

  • $2.8 million for home water treatment for private wells in southeastern Minnesota at or above the Environmental Protection Agency’s safe drinking water limit for nitrates of 10 mg/L.
  • $2.79 million from the Clean Water Fund to inventory, test, and provide education and outreach around private wells in southeastern Minnesota.
  • $3 million from the Clean Water Fund to monitor and evaluate nitrate levels.
  • $850,000 for grants to feedlots under 1,000 animal units to implement manure management projects that improve water quality or reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as dry manure management systems. Anaerobic manure digesters are not eligible for this grant. This legislation was championed by the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy.

Setting a Foundation for 2025

  • Introduced comprehensive manure management reform legislation and secured 19 co-authors on the bill.
  • Introduced and secured a House hearing on bipartisan comprehensive soil health legislation.
  • Introduced an updated version of the Next Generation Minnesota Farmer Act in the House.

What Stalled 

Unfortunately, a few bills that LSP was actively supporting did not move forward, primarily due to lack of political will on the part of a handful of legislators within the Minnesota Senate Majority. What did not move forward included: 

  • A mandatory environmental impact statement (EIS) for feedlots over 10,000 animal units, which was strongly opposed by organizations like AgriGrowth, the Minnesota Farm Bureau, and Minnesota Milk.
  • Redirecting an existing 40-cents-per-ton fertilizer fee from the Agriculture Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) toward private well drinking-water assistance. LSP advocated for these funds to go toward supporting on-the-ground soil health practices and programs to help with prevention in the field. There were improvements made to AFREC, including reauthorizing the fee for 5 years instead of 10, and adding sustainable agriculture and public health representatives to the Council, which LSP suggested in our written testimony and discussed with legislators during meetings. 

LSP would have liked to have seen much stronger versions of these proposals as a way to have a bigger impact on the root causes of consolidation and pollution. So it’s disappointing that even when it came to these watered-down proposals, a handful of legislators in the Minnesota Senate Majority continue to side with Big Ag at the expense of small and mid-sized farmers, rural communities, and our water and climate. 

Organizing Accomplishments

Thousands of LSP members and supporters made their voices heard this legislative session in a variety of ways: 

  • Three LSP steering committees and working groups made up of 25 LSP members set LSP’s legislative agenda and led LSP’s legislative strategy.
  • Dozens of LSP members shared their stories by testifying in legislative hearings focused on water quality, emerging farmers, soil health, and more. 
  • In February, members of LSP’s Climate Policy Steering Committee spent a day at the Capitol to meet with Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Aric Putnam, Senate Environment Committee Chair Foung Hawj, House Agriculture Committee Vice Chair Kristi Pursell, along with the Governor’s office, about LSP’s climate priorities. 
  • In February, LSP members from southeastern Minnesota traveled to the Capitol to attend a hearing and hold a press conference about the nitrate crisis facing Minnesotans in their communities.
  • In March, LSP held our largest-ever Family Farm Breakfast and Day at the Capitol with approximately 305 attendees, about 140 of whom stayed to meet with their legislators. Thirty-four percent of attendees were farmers this year. During our Lobby Day, we also held a town hall Meeting with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Rep. Pursell, and MDA Emerging Farmers Office Director Lillian Otieno.  
  • In March, LSP members, staff, and partners authored a Star Tribune commentary in support of prioritizing emerging farmers within Minnesota Department of Agriculture grant programs.
  • In April, 10 LSP rural, urban, and farming members participated in LSP’s Animal Ag Day at the Capitol, where we delivered a letter from 85 farmers asking legislators to co-author our  manure management reform bill. Folks met with and shared their stories with eight legislators, most of whom became co-authors of our legislation!
  • Nearly 1,000 people took action by signing a petition, adding their name to a farmer sign-on letter, or contacting their legislators about LSP’s legislative priorities. 
  • Over 450 people attended virtual or in-person LSP policy campaign events, other than the Family Farm Breakfast. 

Join Us

Please join LSP as a member, renew your membership, or make a special gift to support our policy and programmatic work.  LSP is only as strong as our membership, and each of us plays a part in creating the food and farm system we want and need. And please consider sharing this blog with your legislators, your neighbors, your family, your friends, your social media networks, and people in your community — it takes all of us to transform our farm and food system! 

For more information on LSP’s state policy work, contact policy manager Amanda Koehler via e-mail or see our state policy web page.

Category: Blog
Tags: beginning farmers • community-based food • emerging farmers • factory farms • Family Farm Breakfast • Minnesota Legislature • soil health • state policy

Upcoming Events

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October 2025

Tuesday October 7

6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
Tuesday October 7
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
The Landing Market, 211 College Dr, Decorah, IA 52101, USA

The Johnson Center for Land Stewardship Policy is excited to share that one of our its primary pillars of work — a published collection of Paul Johnson’s writings —  is set for release on Oct. 2.  The book features a brief biography and a discussion of Paul’s ideas within the historical and future contexts of private lands conservation. Details on the event are available here.

For details on We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy click here.

 

Friday October 10

8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Weaving a Wider Community: Seeing & Countering Racism in Our Backyard
Friday October 10
8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Weaving a Wider Community: Seeing & Countering Racism in Our Backyard
111 N 1st St, Montevideo, MN 56265, USA

Join LSP and CURE for a community event at the Land Stewardship Project office in Montevideo (111 N. First St.), from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Friday, Oct. 10. This event includes lunch catered by El Mana; please register by Oct. 3 to be included in the food count.

You can RSVP here.

The Racial Equity Conference, organized by the Greater Minnesota Partnership of the Facilitating Racial Equity Collaborative, has been specifically designed to bring engaging content to local communities through a unique pairing of online speakers and in-person local sessions. The morning’s online content will include a conversation focused on seeing and countering racism in rural communities, moderated by Eryn Gee Killough, paired with two outstanding keynote speakers, Jenna Grey Eagle and Ron Ferguson, who have experience working in rural communities. 

This online content will be exclusively available to local community gatherings. Each gathering will gear their in-person activity to their specific community with the goal of extending the impact of the conference to others throughout the following year. Join LSP and CURE for this western Minnesota gathering, or if a different location works better for you, check out all the local gatherings on the FREC site,

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out. LSP’s Nick Olson can be reached via e-mail at nicko@landstewardshipproject.org.

9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Intensive Small-Scale Market Gardening Bus Tour
Friday October 10
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Intensive Small-Scale Market Gardening Bus Tour
Leatherdale Equine Center, 1801 Dudley Ave, St Paul, MN 55108, USA

Explore profitable small-scale farming (1–5 acres) and soil care. Visit a cooperative incubator farm and a thriving suburban market garden. Learn about cover crops, reduced tillage, high tunnel soil health, and support for growers.

This is the second tour in a three-part soil health bus tour series. Participants can sign up for just one, two, or all three tours. Register at https://z.umn.edu/vegetablebustours. The cost is $15 (flat fee, covers 1, 2, or 3 tours). There are more details in the attached flyer.

Saturday October 11

11:00 am – 2:00 pm
LSP-COPAL Visita a la Granja | Farm Tour
Saturday October 11
11:00 am – 2:00 pm
LSP-COPAL Visita a la Granja | Farm Tour
36919 County 57 Blvd, Dennison, MN 55018, USA

Building off the success of last year’s farm event with COPAL in Austin, Minn., this year Land Stewardship Project and COPAL members and supporters will gather at the Young-Walser Family Farm in Dennison, Minn. for a festive and delicious farm tour on Saturday, Oct. 11, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. We invite you to come and meet new folks, learn new skills, and try new food! 
 
This year’s COPAL-LSP farm event offers a little something for everyone: 
 
🍯 Honey sampling and the opportunity to purchase from Homestead Honey Farm. 
 
🍎 Apple cider pressing and tasting. (BTW, we’re still looking for an apple press if you or a farmer friend have one nearby we could borrow for this event!) 
 
🌽 Nixtamalization workshop and fresh, homemade tortillas, made with corn grown by LSP and COPAL members at the Young-Walser Family Farm! 
 
🍅 Salsa making and cricket-eating competitions! Yes, you heard that right —we’ll have the opportunity to sample crickets, a delectable crispy and savory snack commonly enjoyed throughout Mexico and Central America. Stay tuned for details on how to enter either competition. 
 
🥾 A tour of the Young-Walser farm, nestled in the beautiful Sogn Valley not far from Cannon Falls, Minn. Enjoy a tromp through the corn and squash fields and hike in the nearby woods. 
 
🌮 A shared meal and opportunity to hear from LSP and COPAL organizers about our participation in the Immigrant Defense Network. 

Let us know you can make it to ensure we order enough food and supplies! Carpools from Minneapolis and Rochester will be available to all attendees. 

________________________________________________

¡Únete a LSP + COPAL para nuestro recorrido anual comunitario en la granja!
Un espacio divertido para tod@s donde exploraremos la agricultura, aprenderemos sobre el campo y participaremos en actividades prácticas. ¡Uno de los momentos más especiales será hacer tortillas frescas junt@s!

Compartiremos un delicioso almuerzo comunitario, preparando tacos en estilo potluck (tipo convivio). Te invitamos a traer un platillo o acompañamiento para compartir.

También estás invitado@ a llegar temprano (desde las 9 AM) para ayudar a cosechar calabazas que sembramos. Puedes llevarte algunas a casa, y el resto se donará a un banco de alimentos local.

El Land Stewardship Project (LSP) es una organización aliada de COPAL que trabaja por sistemas alimentarios y agrícolas más sostenibles y justos. LSP y COPAL están unidas en su lucha por instituciones democráticas sólidas, comunidades saludables y acogedoras, y una ética de cuidado hacia la tierra y las personas que nos alimentan.

Tuesday October 14

11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Birds as Pest Control Allies on the Farm
Tuesday October 14
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Birds as Pest Control Allies on the Farm
Online

This 10-lesson Wild Farm Alliance virtual course teaches agricultural professionals and farmers how to support beneficial birds and manage pest birds on farms. By learning how to assess the farm’s avian needs and opportunities, farms can be designed to provide for a diversity of beneficial birds. 

If pest birds are a problem, they can be discouraged with specific practices during the shorter periods when they cause damage. The sessions cover the latest research, tools and resources, and are given by experts in avian pest control, entomology, ornithology and conservation. While many topics and species are specific to the Midwest, most of the principles discussed are applicable across regions. 

Continuing Education Credits have been requested and are expected to be approved from American Society of Agronomy.

For details and to register, click here. 

The Course Schedule:

LESSON 1

Why Birds Belong on the Farm: Biodiversity, Pest Control & A Thriving Landscape

Tuesday, September 23, 2 p.m. CT


LESSON 2

Birds as Pest Control Allies on the Farm

Tuesday, October 14, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 3

Birds in the Balance: Pest Control Services Across Crop Types

Tuesday, November 4, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 4

Integrating Habitat into Croplands: Prairie Strips and Bird Conservation

Tuesday, December 2, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 5

Birds on the Farm: Balancing Biodiversity and Food Safety

Tuesday, January 13, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 6

Beyond the Crop: Birds, Biodiversity, and the Power of Edge Habitat

Tuesday, February 3, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 7

Bridging Forestry, Farming, and Habitat

Tuesday, February 24, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 8

Perennial Pathways: Agroforestry for Birds and Biodiversity on Farms

Tuesday, March 17, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 9

Birds on the Range: How Grazing Practices Shape Habitat for Grassland Species

Tuesday, April 7, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 10

Birds at Risk: How Pesticides Shape Safety on Agricultural Lands

Tuesday, April 28, 11 a.m. CT

View Full Calendar

Recent Posts

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  • Area Farmers Share Land Access & Marketing Concerns with Legislators From 9 States September 23, 2025
  • Land Line: Monopolies, Crop Rut, MISA, Soil Microbes, Corn Production Costs, Nitrates, Kernza September 15, 2025
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