Land Stewardship Project

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Factory Farms

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Factory farms pose a serious threat to the health and well-being of rural communities. These large-scale industrial operations push family farmers off the land and put independent producers out of business. Local economies suffer as more and more land is consolidated into fewer and fewer hands. Factory farms also pose numerous environmental hazards — such as water pollution, noxious odors, and toxic air emissions — that greatly impact the health of nearby residents.

Yet, for decades, Land Stewardship Project members have used the power of local democracy to stop factory farms and build more vibrant rural communities. Through local control, townships and counties can block unwanted development, planning instead for projects that put the land and the people first.

LSP members have also worked at the state level for policies that hold factory farms accountable to higher standards. For example, members fought for policies that control hydrogen sulfide emissions and require factory farms to build covered, concrete lined basins for hog manure lagoons.

A recent blog on a factory farm fight LSP is currently involved in highlights what is at stake and what can be accomplished when community members make their voices heard.

Click Here to Get Involved with
Factory Farm Organizing

Check Out Our Latest Action Alerts

LSP Powerline Story Center

Do you care about the future of your rural community? Do you want to be heard? Submit your story to LSP’s Powerline Story Center today!

The Winona County Factory Farm Fight

During the past three years, a dairy CAFO in Minnesota’s Winona County has made repeated, unsuccessful attempts to force through an unprecedented expansion that could have profound negative impacts on the community. A major reason that, despite backing from powerful interests, Daley Farm has not been successful in ignoring common sense rules is that Winona County residents have repeatedly made their voices heard. Their message is  clear: exceeding the animal unit cap is not good for the land, water, family farms, or rural communities. Check out this page for more on their fight.

Take the Pledge: Say NO to Factory Farms

In the Upper Midwest, we know how special the land that sustains us is. Factory farms jeopardizes not only the land itself but the communities that rely on it. They threaten the water and land with pollution, force small to mid-sized farmers out of business, and weaken local economies. Join other LSP members in taking the “No to Factory Farms” pledge today.

Factory Farm Resources

• Manual: Protecting Your Township From Unwanted Development: A Guide for MN Townships on Using the Interim Ordinance

• Myth #57: Abusive Work Conditions are ‘Essential’ to Heading off a Meat Famine

• Myth #60: CAFO Digesters are a Good Public Investment

• Myth #56: Mega-Dairies = Mega-Benefits for Rural Communities

• The Money Pit: How Minnesota Property Taxpayers are Subsidizing Factory Farms

• Fact Sheet: Factory Farming’s False Promise

• Fact Sheet: Hometown Factory Farm Fighting

• Fact Sheet: Hydrogen Sulfide and Factory Farms

• Fact Sheet: Writing a Letter to Your Newspaper: Putting pen to paper can be a powerful media tool

Related Posts

  • Comments Needed: New MPCA General Feedlot Permits

    July 3, 2024

    On Monday, June 24, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) opened a public comment period for Minnesotans to respond to proposed changes to two permits…

    Action Alerts
    CAFOs, factory farms, feedlot permits, feedlots, karst, manure, MPCA, water pollution, water quality
    Comments Needed: New MPCA General Feedlot Permits
  • Support Lowered Environmental Review Thresholds for Manure Digesters

    April 19, 2024

    Every three years, the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (EQB) publishes an updated Mandatory Category Report detailing project types that require environmental review in our state…

    Action Alerts
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    Support Lowered Environmental Review Thresholds for Manure Digesters
  • community holding signs against factory farms

    LSP Applauds State Supreme Court’s Rejection of Daley Appeal

    March 19, 2025

    LEWISTON, Minn. —  The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) applauded the Minnesota Supreme Court’s recent decision to deny a Winona County factory farm owner’s attempt to…

    News Releases
    Big Ag, CAFO, Daley Farm, factory farm, local control, local democracy, nitrate pollution, Winona County
    LSP Applauds State Supreme Court’s Rejection of Daley Appeal

Contact:

Matthew Sheets, LSP organizer
e-mail, 612-767-9709

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        • Anti-Competitiveness & Price Gouging
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        • A Farm Bill For Us
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        • MN Farm, Food & Climate Funding
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Upcoming Events

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August 2025

Friday August 1

All Day
Early Bird Discount Deadline for LSP's Farm Beginnings Class
Friday August 1
Early Bird Discount Deadline for LSP's Farm Beginnings Class

Beginning and prospective farmers are invited to apply to the Land Stewardship Project’s Farm Beginnings course, a year-long training program that focuses on the goal setting, marketing, and financial skills needed to establish a successful farm business. The Farm Beginnings course creates a space for folks to name their vision, acquire the tools and skills needed to make it happen, and become part of a community of support to help them succeed.  

The course will run from November 2025 through March 2026, with some additional educational opportunities to take place later in 2026. 

The deadline for applications is Sept. 1. Early bird applications submitted by Aug. 1 will receive a $100 discount if you are accepted into the class. Partial scholarships are available.

More details are at http://www.farmbeginnings.org or Annelie Livingston-Anderson at annelie@landstewardshipproject.org.

You can apply to the course here.

4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Roots & Rotation Grazing Field Day
Friday August 1
4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Roots & Rotation Grazing Field Day
22545 Co Rd 42, Richmond, MN 56368, 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.

Saturday August 2

10:00 am – 2:00 pm
LSP Small Grains Field Day/Networking Event
Saturday August 2
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
LSP Small Grains Field Day/Networking Event
Madison Mercantile, 601 1st St, Madison, MN 56256, USA

Building on the momentum and popularity of the Land Stewardship Project’s Small Grain Markets Workshop in Albert Lea, Minn., this past winter, we are offering a second free networking event in western Minnesota on Saturday, Aug. 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in Madison, Minn. All those curious about small grains are welcome.

We will hear from two western Minnesota farmers who have found success in growing and marketing small grains: Noreen Thomas of Doubting Thomas Farms and Peter Haugen of Sandhill Mill. Additionally, Gilbert Williams, a longtime grain mill operator and small grains procurement expert, will walk us through the processing side of the business. Lunch will be provided.

You can reserve a spot here. 

For more information, contact LSP’s Alex Kiminski 
at akiminski@landstewardshipproject.org.

3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Sea of Grass 'Prairie Walk & Author Talk'
Saturday August 2
3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Sea of Grass 'Prairie Walk & Author Talk'
Lac qui Parle State Park, 14047 20th St NW, Watson, MN 56295, USA

 Join LSP for a book reading and Q & A with Dave Hage and Josephine Marcotty, the authors of Sea of Grass: The Conquest, Ruin, and Redepmtion of Nature on the American Priaire, at Lac qui Parle State Park. Prior to the book reading, we will go on a guided prairie walk to learn firsthand about the great Minnesotan prairies. Through the event, we will gain an understanding of the history, present, and future of the land and ways to work towards building more sustainable and just food and farming systems that protect our natural ecosystems. You can read a review of Sea of Grass in the current Land Stewardship Letter.
 
To reserve a spot, click here.
 
Schedule: 

  • 3 p.m. – Guided prairie walk with prairie naturalist Amy Rager  
  • 4:30 p.m. – Sea of Grass book reading by authors Dave Hage and Josephine Marcotty     
  • 5 p.m. – Q & A with Dave and Josephine   
  • 5:30 p.m. – Discussion and reflection  
  • 6 p.m. – Dinner 

Camping will be available at Lac qui Parle State Park. LSP has reserved a Group Camp Site which is in the lower area of the park and can accommodate up to 50 people. Only tents are allowed — participants will need to bring their own tents and supplies. There is no electrical hookup; water spigot and vault toilets available. Please let us know via the event registration form if you plan to camp at the Group Camp Site.

For more information, contact LSP’s Melody Arteaga at marteaga@landstewardshipproject.org.

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.

View Full Calendar

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  • 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
  • Land Line: Tax Bill’s Ag Impact, Farmer Privacy, CAFO Water Demand, Honeybees, Nitrates, Solar’s Bright Spot, Farm Bankruptcies July 15, 2025

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