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
    • Board of Directors
      • 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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November 2025

Saturday November 1

6:15 pm – 9:15 pm
Community Potluck & Folk Dance in Bay City, Wis.
Saturday November 1
6:15 pm – 9:15 pm
Community Potluck & Folk Dance in Bay City, Wis.
W6275 Main St, Bay City, WI 54723, USA

Calling all folk dance lovers! The Land Stewardship Project is co-sponsoring a potluck and folk dance at the Town Hall in Bay City, Wis., on Saturday, Nov. 1. Can you attend or volunteer? LSP is looking for one or two more people to help represent our people-powered organization by tabling at this event. To volunteer, reply directly to this e-mail and let me know you’re available. 
 
For details, check out this flier. 

The potluck and dance are co-hosted by LSP members from Oxheart Farm and the Oak Center General Store. No RSVP required; please direct questions to Emmet at oxheartfarm@gmail.com.
 

Folk Dance Flyer 2025.jpg

Tuesday November 4

11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Birds in the Balance: Pest Control Services Across Crop Types
Tuesday November 4
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Birds in the Balance: Pest Control Services Across Crop Types
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

7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Big Ag, Big Problems: LSP Panel on Rural Consolidation
Tuesday November 4
7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Big Ag, Big Problems: LSP Panel on Rural Consolidation
Lanesboro Community Center, 202 Parkway Ave S, Lanesboro, MN 55949, USA

 
The concentration of money and power in our food and farming system is a threat to our rural way of life, the land, and Main Street economies. According to research compiled by Farm Action, agricultural industries ranging from poultry processing to seed distribution are now dominated by four or fewer corporations, creating a system that for all intents and purposes no longer represents an open market situation. This makes it next to impossible for small and mid-sized farms to compete economically.  

Those of us who grew up in the rural Midwest have seen these effects firsthand. As once vibrant agricultural economies diminish, so too do community resources: hospitals, public schools, religious institutions, grocery stores, and more. Young people who see little opportunity in their hometowns move to cities and suburbs to start their careers and families. 
 
A consolidated, corporate-controlled agricultural system is also wreaking havoc on our natural environment. Runoff from large-scale factory farms and row cropping operations threatens our drinking water and spoils natural landscapes that people from all walks of life cherish. Without intervention, it won’t be long before all of us — urban or rural, farmers and non-farmers, rich or poor, young or old — will be impacted by the devastation of Big Ag. 

Join the Land Stewardship Project on Tuesday, Nov. 4, to hear from two people who think a lot about the power of Big Ag and its negative impacts — Austin Frerick and Sonja Trom Eayrs. They will lead a discussion about the forces threatening our rural communities and how we build the people power to take them on. 

This is an opportunity to take the first steps toward developing the kind of positive future for our communities that builds homegrown wealth, treats people fairly, and is resilient in the long term. If you love something and someone, you fight for it. Come fight with us! 
 
Austin Frerick Biography: Austin Frerick is an expert on agricultural and antitrust policy. In 2024, he published his debut book, Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry.
 
Sonja Trom Eayrs Biography: Sonja Trom Eayrs, author of Dodge County, Incorporated: Big Ag and the Undoing of Rural America, is a farmer’s daughter, rural advocate, and attorney.

To register for this event, click here.

Friday November 7 – Saturday November 8

Emerging Farmers Conference
Friday November 7 – Saturday November 8
Emerging Farmers Conference
Brooklyn Center, MN, USA

Details on the 20th Annual Emerging Farmers Conference are available here.

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.

View Full Calendar

Recent Posts

  •  ‘Big Ag, Big Problems’ Panel to Feature 2 Experts on Consolidation Nov. 4 in Lanesboro October 27, 2025
  • Reflections from LSP’s 2025 Summer Events Season October 24, 2025
  • Another Farm Crisis Looms, but it’s Not too Late to Take Action October 23, 2025
  • Tell Congress: Support Market Access for Farmers by Funding Local Food Purchasing October 22, 2025
  • Tell Congress a Farm Bailout is Not the Solution: We Must Invest in America’s Small & Mid-Sized Farmers October 22, 2025

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