Land Stewardship Project

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Board of Directors

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Put Your Values into Action by Serving on LSP's Board of Directors

The Land Stewardship Project’s board development committee is currently calling for LSP board member nominations.

The Land Stewardship Project’s board development committee is calling for LSP board member nominations. Service on the LSP board of directors is a meaningful way to give back and further our mission to foster an ethic of stewardship for farmland, to promote sustainable agriculture, and to develop healthy communities.

You can nominate yourself or nominate another LSP member. As of June 2024, we have three open board positions, and terms could begin as early as September 2024. Board terms are four years in length, and board members can serve up to two terms. Meetings are held every-other-month, and alternate between virtual and hybrid/in-person meetings. There is a board stipend and mileage offered to board members for their service.

—Nominations Can be Made Via this Google Form —

The LSP board is made up of members that are active in their communities and we put a premium on the lived experience of our board members in helping to pragmatically guide the direction of the organization’s work to meet our mission and vision. The board is a meeting place of diverse folks from around the region aiming to make change for the better. Farmers have long played a prominent role on our board, but we need non-farming eaters and regenerative ag advocates on our board as well.

The board will also consider other strong LSP member-candidates beyond this list of attributes. Who do you know who is doing good work that aligns with LSP’s values? 

Nominations are currently being accepted on a ongoing basis.

Contact board@landstewardshipproject.org if you have any questions.

Current Board of Directors

  • Beth Slocum

    Board Chair
    Farmer-Welch, Minn.
  • Sara Morrison

    Board Secretary/Treasurer
    Food Co-op Manager-Osceola, Wis.
  • Laurie Driessen

    Board Fourth Officer
    Farmer-Canby, Minn.
  • Aleta Borrud


    Retired Physician-Rochester, Minn.
  • Laura Cullip


    Farmer-Hutchinson, Minn.
  • Hannah Bernhardt


    Farmer - Finland, Minn
  • Dan McGrath


    Organizer/Consultant-St. Paul, Minn.
  • Josh Bryceson


    Farmer-Clear Lake, Wis.
  • Les Macare


    Farmer-Colfax, Wis.
  • Paula Williams


    Life Coach-Barnum, Minn.

LSP Board Policy Statements

• Climate Change, Agriculture & Energy (Feb. 2018)

To foster an ethic of stewardship for America’s farmland, the Land Stewardship Project (LSP) advances regenerative farming and food systems that protect soil, water and wildlife resources; promote fairness and economic opportunities for family farms and rural communities; and provide safe and healthful food for all people. However, dangerously high levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which are continuing to rise, seriously threaten future progress. Read the full statement here.

• Gender Equity (Feb. 2018)

One aspect of the Land Stewardship Project’s mission is to advance the development of healthy communities
based upon our principles of democracy, justice and equity. To achieve the vibrant, resilient communities we envision, there must be gender equity, meaning all persons, regardless of gender or gender identity, must have the same opportunities, rights, benefits and obligations. In acknowledging our shared history of gender oppression, we also recognize that if we are to enjoy the full potential our community holds, this often means ensuring that people who were denied opportunities in the past now receive them. Read the full statement here.

• Racial Equity (July 2010)

As the Land Stewardship Project board of directors, we recognize that we are living in very challenging eco-nomic times. On the farm, in small towns, and in our larger cities, we are witnessing a level of economic dis-
tress not seen since the Great Depression. There is considerable financial uncertainty for many individuals and families, much of which has been brought about by an economy that has been based on excessive corporate profits, the extraction of wealth from rural communities, and the exploitation of people and the land. Faced with high unemployment and foreclosure rates, and a lack of access to meaningful, well-compensated work, many white, middle class, and low-income people are hurting. Similarly, middle-class and low-income people of color and American Indians, already saddled with huge disparities in access to health, education, jobs, land, nutrition, housing, and deep unfairness in our criminal justice system, face deeply challenging economic prospects as well. Throughout our nation’s history, we note that times of deep economic uncertainty have often fueled bigotry, scapegoating, anti-immigrant sentiment and racist public policy. In this current economy, we have already begun to see these elements take root once again. Read the full statement here.

 

Contact

Scott Elkins, LSP executive director, e-mail

LSP Board Committees

Sub-committees of the Board of Directors

LSP Steering Committees & Working Groups

Leadership committees that help develop the strategies and tactics LSP uses to create change in our farm and food system.

  • About Us
    • Our Mission
    • Long Range Plan
    • Staff Directory
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      • LSP Board Committees
    • LSP Steering Committees & Working Groups
    • Contact Us
    • Past LSP Projects
    • Employment & Volunteer Opportunities
    • LSP Publications
    • Financial Statements
  • Join, Donate, or Renew
  • Building People Power

Upcoming Events

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December 2025

Monday December 1

All Day
Marbleseed Farmer-to-Farmer Mentorship Program Deadline
Monday December 1
Marbleseed Farmer-to-Farmer Mentorship Program Deadline
Marbleseed

Marbleseed’s Farmer-to-Farmer Mentorship Program empowers farmers through one-on-one guidance as they grow their business, seek organic certification, add farm enterprises, hone production skills, balance farm and family and more.  

Both mentor and mentee receive complimentary registration for two years of the Marbleseed Organic Farming Conference. You’ll meet your mentor Feb. 26-28 in La Crosse, Wis. and wrap up your formal relationship at the following conference. 

The deadline for applications is Dec. 1. Learn more and apply here. 

Eligibility: 

→ Applicants must have been operating their farm business for at least one year.  

→ Mentorships are available in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, North Dakota, and South Dakota. 

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

Wednesday December 3

9:00 am – 11:30 am
Organic Fruit Growers Cimate Resilience Workshop
Wednesday December 3
9:00 am – 11:30 am
Organic Fruit Growers Cimate Resilience Workshop
Zoom online

In December and January, the Organic Fruit Growers Association is offering a series of climate resilience workshops. Workshop goals are to learn about the changing climate in our region and the expected impacts on fruit farmers and to select climate resilience practices which are suited to your farm’s goals and values. The outcome of the workshops will be a written climate resilience plan with actionable steps to make your farm more resilient to changing climate. 
 
Workshops will be led by University of Minnesota extension educators Katie Black and Madeline Wimmer and include times for farmer-to-farmer discussion. This series includes the following four meetings. Expect to spend an additional 4-10 hours outside the meetings developing your farm’s climate resilience plan:

  • Wednesday Dec. 3, 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. (online via Zoom)
  • Wednesday, Dec. 10, 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. (online via Zoom)
  • Monday, Dec. 22, discussion (online via Zoom — optional but encouraged)
  • Wednesday, Jan. 7, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (in-person workshop in La Crosse, Wis. Lunch provided, and you can be reimbursed for mileage traveling to and from the meeting.)

For details and to register, click here. 

10:00 am – 12:00 pm
LSP Montevideo Office Open House-Member Orientation
Wednesday December 3
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
LSP Montevideo Office Open House-Member Orientation
North 1st Street West, N 1st St W, Montevideo, MN 56265, USA

On the first Wednesday of each month, the Land Stewardship Project hosts coffee and conversation at our downtown Montevideo office (111 North First Street), and we hope you will have time to join us at the next one on Wednesday, Dec. 3, from 10 a.m. to noon.

This month, we have the exciting opportunity to combine the first 45 minutes of the Monte coffee-and-conversation with the launch of LSP’s quarterly Member Orientations. Designed for both new and long-time members alike, the Member Orientation will ground participants in an overview of LSP’s approach and help each person identify what being an LSP member looks like for them right now.

We will still have plenty of time to enjoy our coffee and build community the old-fashioned way, by talking face-to-face.

Additionally, if drinking coffee makes you chatty — or even if it doesn’t — please consider staying an extra hour for a quick membership phone bank. We will call LSP members in western Minnesota and ask them to renew their membership and share what’s on their minds. Training and script provided.

 Normally we wouldn’t ask for an RSVP for an open house, but in this case it will help us know how many materials to prep. So if you can, please let us know if you plan to come for the Member Orientation section and/or stay for the phoning hour.

Come when you can and stay as long as you like! Don’t hesitate to bring along a friend or two — we always enjoy meeting someone new.

Wednesday December 10

9:00 am – 11:30 am
Organic Fruit Growers Climate Resilience Workshop
Wednesday December 10
9:00 am – 11:30 am
Organic Fruit Growers Climate Resilience Workshop
Zoom online

In December and January, the Organic Fruit Growers Association is offering a series of climate resilience workshops. Workshop goals are to learn about the changing climate in our region and the expected impacts on fruit farmers and to select climate resilience practices which are suited to your farm’s goals and values. The outcome of the workshops will be a written climate resilience plan with actionable steps to make your farm more resilient to changing climate. 
 
Workshops will be led by University of Minnesota extension educators Katie Black and Madeline Wimmer and include times for farmer-to-farmer discussion. This series includes the following four meetings. Expect to spend an additional 4-10 hours outside the meetings developing your farm’s climate resilience plan:

  • Wednesday Dec. 3, 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. (online via Zoom)
  • Wednesday, Dec. 10, 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. (online via Zoom)
  • Monday, Dec. 22, discussion (online via Zoom — optional but encouraged)
  • Wednesday, Jan. 7, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (in-person workshop in La Crosse, Wis. Lunch provided, and you can be reimbursed for mileage traveling to and from the meeting.)

For details and to register, click here. 

View Full Calendar

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