Tell Congress a Farm Bailout is Not the Solution: We Must Invest in America’s Small & Mid-Sized Farmers

It’s clear that the Trump administration’s tariffs and international trade war are harming American farmers and showing the weakness of our industrial agriculture model. With international commodity markets vanishing, some small and medium-sized farmers are having to decide if they can keep operating under this level of uncertainty, or if they need to sell off their operations. A government bailout is coming and it will help farmers get by in the short-term, but it is basically placing a bandage on a broken system. Who will benefit the most from the bailout? The biggest of the big operations that continue to consolidate land and markets. But who needs the bailout the most? The small and medium-sized farmers who might not be able to keep their operations going another season. We need more small and medium-sized farmers on the land. But this administration’s actions make it clear who they’re listening to most: the Big Guys.We must instead use our public dollars to invest in the long term resiliency of our farm and food system. We must build out reliable markets, create risk supports for those farmers willing to step out of the mainstream corn and soybean system to try something new, and invest in the kind of transportation, distribution, and processing facilities that create a resilient farm and food system. The future of farming is diverse, farmer-led, and stewardship minded, and we need to start building for that future now before it’s too late.

Tell your elected representatives in Congress that tariffs and bailouts are not agriculture policy and to prioritize support for more local food systems development and crop insurance reforms, while creating diverse, reliable markets for America’s farmers.

Contact Congress Here

Upcoming Events

November 2025

Thursday November 13

8:30 am – 1:00 pm: Women in Conservation Northern Network Gathering: Stories from the Field
Thursday November 13
8:30 am – 1:00 pm
Women in Conservation Northern Network Gathering: Stories from the Field
Bigwood Event Center, 921 Western Ave, Fergus Falls, MN 56537, USA
Join Minnesota Women in Conservation and Renewing the Countryside for a relaxed, creative, restorative, and interactive day of networking and learning with fellow women conservation professionals. Breakfast and lunch are included at the lovely Bigwood Event Center. Cost is $25.

For more information and to register, click here.

Please reach out to burke@rtcinfo.org for information on scholarships before registering.

Friday November 14

9:00 am – 3:00 pm: Scaling Up Soil Health Strategies Bus Tour
Friday November 14
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Scaling Up Soil Health Strategies Bus Tour
Leatherdale Equine Center, 1801 Dudley Ave, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
Visit three farms near Northfield, Minn., to explore soil health at a larger scale. Learn about mechanized cover cropping, reduced tillage, erosion control, and using perennials and pollinator strips.

This is the third 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.

Wednesday November 19

12:15 pm – 1:45 pm: We Can Do Better Book Discussion at Iowa Nature Summit
Wednesday November 19
12:15 pm – 1:45 pm
We Can Do Better Book Discussion at Iowa Nature Summit
Olmsted Center, 2875 University Ave, Des Moines, IA 50311, 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. For details on We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy click here.

Curt Meine will speak about the book during the 12:15 p.m.-1:30 p.m. luncheon at the Iowa Nature Summit on Nov 19.

Saturday November 22

1:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Farm Scale Deep Winter Greenhouse Open House
Saturday November 22
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Farm Scale Deep Winter Greenhouse Open House
Tintah Beach Farm, Thief River Falls, MN
Please join Marcus Langevin from Tintah Beach Farm and the University of Minnesota at an open house and ribbon cutting celebrating the completion of the farm scale deep winter greenhouse prototype on Nov. 22, from 1 p.m.-4 p.m.

This new deep winter greenhouse design allows farmers in cold climates to grow crops for sale to their customers throughout the winter months. The heavily insulated greenhouse utilizes a steeply sloped south-facing glazing wall to capture solar heat which is stored in an underground soil thermal mass where it is available to heat the greenhouse at night when the outside temperatures drop.

The new energy efficient greenhouse was designed to suit the needs of small and medium scale vegetable farmers. It is larger, cheaper per square foot to construct than previous designs, and is simple enough that farmers with minimal construction experience can build it themselves. Deep winter greenhouses like these allow farmers the ability to grow market crops year-round, thereby increasing their yearly revenues and allowing Minnesotans year-round access to healthy, fresh, locally grown produce.

Registration: This event is free to attend, but registration is required at z.umn.edu/TintahBeachOpenHouse. Please register by November 15.

Download farm scale deep winter greenhouse building documents. This farm scale deep winter greenhouse design is available for free download from the UMN Extension RSDP’s deep winter greenhouse website.

This work is made possible by University of Minnesota Extension; College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS); College of Design Center for Sustainable Building Research (CSBR); and the Agriculture Research, Education, Extension and Technology Transfer Program (AGREETT).

December 2025

Tuesday December 2

11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Integrating Habitat into Croplands: Prairie Strips and Bird Conservation
Tuesday December 2
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Integrating Habitat into Croplands: Prairie Strips and Bird Conservation
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

Land Stewardship Project

Tell Congress a Farm Bailout is Not the Solution: We Must Invest in America’s Small & Mid-Sized Farmers

We need transformational change in our farm and food system, not another bailout.

Contact Congress Here

Contact

LESSON 1

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

LESSON 2

Birds as Pest Control Allies on the Farm

LESSON 3

Birds in the Balance: Pest Control Services Across Crop Types

LESSON 4

Integrating Habitat into Croplands: Prairie Strips and Bird Conservation

LESSON 5

Birds on the Farm: Balancing Biodiversity and Food Safety

LESSON 6

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

LESSON 7

Bridging Forestry, Farming, and Habitat

LESSON 8

Perennial Pathways: Agroforestry for Birds and Biodiversity on Farms

LESSON 9

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

LESSON 10

Birds at Risk: How Pesticides Shape Safety on Agricultural Lands