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A Sense of Where You Are: Food Bank Booster

Part 7 in a Series

By Brian DeVore
January 15, 2025

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Note: This is the 7th installment in the 12-part “A Sense of Where You Are” series. 

Here’s some troubling context in the land of plenty: in 2023, 18 million U.S. households were food insecure at some time during the year, according to the USDA. That figure is up from 17 million in 2022. Food insecurity is defined as a situation where people can’t access the sustenance they need to live their fullest lives. In short, these are people who simply aren’t getting enough to eat. It’s a problem that’s more common in rural communities; such areas comprise less than two-thirds of all U.S. counties, but nine out of 10 counties with the highest food insecurity rates are rural, says Feeding America.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of farmers who are willing and able to produce food for local eaters in their communities, but who are stymied by a marketing and distribution system that’s structured around commodities like corn and soybeans. This troubling gap between farmers and eaters was the focus of attention during an August field day on Rodrigo Cala’s farm in western Wisconsin’s Barron County.

“It’s for the benefit of not just farmers, but the community,” said Wisconsin Farmer Rodrigo Cala of a program that gets locally produced food into area food shelves.

“In rural communities it’s difficult to get really healthy food,” said Cala. “We need to find a way to help low-income families get access to organic food, natural food.”

That’s why Cala, who raises produce, chickens, hogs, and sheep, is participating in a program that’s trying to reduce some of that food insecurity in rural areas while supporting farmers who churn out produce, meats, and value-added products. The Wisconsin Local Food Purchase Assistance Program pays farmers a fair price for their production, and then distributes that food to local food pantries and food banks. Called LFPA for short, versions of the initiative exist in other parts of the country, and are often structured around a partnership between state departments of agriculture and farm and food nonprofits. The USDA administers the program, which is funded by the federal American Rescue Plan.

In Wisconsin, the program has been up and running for two years and is led by the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, in collaboration with Marbleseed, the Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative, and the Wisconsin Farmers Union. In 2024 alone, 125 farmers from throughout the state sold $1.8 million worth of food through the program.

Cala sells produce and pork through the LFPA, and said it now accounts for about 20% of his farm’s income. Since the program picks up the food at the farm, it helps alleviate two major headaches for farmers: marketing and transportation.

One of the farmers attending the field day was Mike Lenz, who, along with his wife, Jody, operates Threshing Table Farm in Star Prairie, Wis. Like Cala, the Lenzes have been selling produce through the LFPA program the past two years.

Lenz said being involved with the program has allowed them to employ at least four more seasonal employees, which means more money is circulated in the community.

“The money stays local to our area and the produce stays local to our area,” he said. “It gives me a lot of hope, actually.”

Brian DeVore edits the Land Stewardship Letter and produces the Ear to the Ground podcast.

Give it a Listen

  • Ear to the Ground 360: Food Bank Booster (Rodrigo Cala & Mike Lenz)

Installments in the ‘A Sense of Where You Are’ Series:

  1. Introduction to the Series: A Sense of Where You Are
  2. Red Dresses & Magic Management
  3. In the Blood
  4. Seeking Signs of Life
  5. Forest for the Trees
  6. The Quickening
  7. Food Bank Booster
  8. First Things First
  9. The Big Picture
  10. The Snowball Effect
  11. 7 Years Later
  12. Against the Grain

 

Category: Blog
Tags: A Sense of Where You Are • Cala Farm • CSA • food banks • hunger • Local Food Purchase Assistance Program • Rodrigo Cala • rural economic development • rural poverty • Threshing Table Farm • vegetable production

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August 2025

Tuesday August 5 – Thursday August 7

Farmfest 2025
Tuesday August 5 – Thursday August 7
Farmfest 2025
28366 County Hwy 13, Morgan, MN 56266, USA

Details are here.

Thursday August 7

12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Unlocking Conservation Resources for Communities & Farms
Thursday August 7
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Unlocking Conservation Resources for Communities & Farms
Red Rock Center for the Arts, 222 E Blue Earth Ave, Fairmont, MN 56031, USA

Join Renewing the Countryside and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) this summer at one of their eight conservation events in a town near you, where you will:

  • Learn how conservation benefits Minnesota’s rural communities.
  • Hear from a panel of local speakers.
  • Discover available NRCS Farm Bill programs and the economics of on-farm practices.
  • Enjoy a complimentary lunch, plus a chance to win door prizes.
  • Network with local farmers, neighbors, and conservation professionals.
  • Receive helpful materials and personalized support on next steps after the event.  

For more information, click here. 

Locations & Dates:
Each event is free, open to all, and runs from noon to 2 p.m. at the venues listed. Space is limited, please register in advance.

  • Hallock (Kittson County) – Tues, July 22 @ Far North Spirits
  • Elbow Lake (Grant County) – Wed, July 23 @ Elbow Lake Community Building
  • Sleepy Eye (Brown County) – Thur, July 24 @ Sleepy Eye Brewing Company
  • Milaca (Mille Lacs County) – Tues, July 29 @ Gorecki Community Center
  • Mora (Kanabec County) – Thur, July 31 @ Sapsucker Farms Yellow Belly Cidery
  • Owatonna (Steele County) – Tues, August 5 @ Owatonna Public Utilities Building
  • Jordan (Scott County) – Wed, August 6 @ Ridges at Sand Creek
  • Fairmont (Martin County) – Thur, August 7 @ Red Rock Center for the Arts

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
CFFE Tariffs & Ag Webinar
Thursday August 7
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
CFFE Tariffs & Ag Webinar
Online Webinar

Join the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment online on Thursday, August 7, for an update on where things stand with tariffs and what that means for food and farm policy and the factory farm system. We’ll cover the basics of how trade policy impacts agriculture, what recent changes mean for the U.S. food system, and ways to get involved in the fight for fair trade and fair markets. 

The Land Stewardship Project is a longtime coalition member of the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment. I hope you can join this informative session!

Speakers for this webinar include Patty Lovera from the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environnment and Ben Lilliston from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

When: Thursday, Aug 7, 2 p.m. Central/3 p.m. Eastern
Register in advance at this link

After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing information about joining the webinar. For more information, contact LSP policy director Sean Carroll at scarroll@landstewardshipproject.org.
 
 

Friday August 8

4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Roots & Rotation Grazing Field Day
Friday August 8
4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Roots & Rotation Grazing Field Day
10470 190th St, Park Rapids, MN 56470, USA

Roots and Rotation is a summer field day series happening across Minnesota. These field days will discuss the use of livestock for soil health goals in different agricultural systems. 
 
Learn about the benefits of integrating livestock onto cropland and how to make it work on your operation. Hear from experienced farmers and Extension educators specializing in crops, livestock, and soil health. These events are for producers looking to elevate their cropland soil health and increase their forage resources. 

For more information and to register, see the Minnesota Grazing Lands Conservation Association website.

4:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Sunflower Social Farmer Gathering
Friday August 8
4:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Sunflower Social Farmer Gathering
22955 570th Ave, Austin, MN 55912, USA

Members of the Land Stewardship Project’s Austin Area Soil Health Hub are hosting a sunflower social on Tom and Kim Finnegan’s farm Friday, Aug. 8, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. This event will be open to all area farmers. Meet members of this peer-to-peer farmer group, see the beautiful sunflower fields, and learn about diversification.  

Farming should include a trusted network that ensures we are all successful. How could having a network of farmers that provide support, resources, and comradery impact your farm? 

On Aug. 8, gather with area farmers who are invested in soil health and sustainable practices, and are committed to learning from each other. Join us for an evening on the Finnegan farm for a hay ride around the sunflower fields and to learn more about their diversified farm. There will be a supper and lots of time to connect with farmers in the area.

RSVP here. 

View Full Calendar

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  • Land Line: USDA Changes, Climate-Smart Ag, Dead Zone, Nitrate Pollution, Feedlot Regs, Soil Bacteria, the Power of Diverse Farming July 28, 2025
  • Social Sustainability: Fostering Farmer-Focused Communities  July 24, 2025
  • A Healthy Hub of Activity July 21, 2025
  •  Beginning Farmer Program for MN, WI & IA Accepting Applications for 2025-2026 Course July 16, 2025

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