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Farmer Sign-On Letter: Diversified & Small Farms Deserve a Strong Safety Net

October 26, 2023

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Diversified, small, and mid-sized farmers deserve to have a strong safety net. Yet, most don’t. Why? Crop insurance isn’t accessible or worthwhile for most small, mid-sized, and diversified farms.

Take it from Andy Petran, a Land Stewardship Project member and Farmington, Minn.-area farmer, who wrote the following in a recent Star Tribune op-ed: “Farming has always been difficult, but climate-induced extreme weather events have increased the level of risk. To help overcome bad years and bad luck, the federal farm bill offers farmers subsidized crop insurance. Yet the program as it currently functions favors large operations producing a few select crops, making it impractical or impossible for many small farmers to participate. A recent survey of farmers under 40 found that only 5% had crop insurance. That’s a crisis for agriculture.”

A single extreme weather event or season of drought can put an uninsured farmer in serious financial distress or out of business, especially if they’re a beginning farmer without years of operating experience to build their own financial resiliency. As the impacts of climate change continue to accelerate, our farmers, who are on the front lines of climate change, are at extreme risk — this is especially true for farmers growing food crops. This means the security and future of our farm and food system is at risk.

That’s why Land Stewardship Project members are organizing to include the Whole Farm Revenue Protection Improvement Act (WFRPIA) in the next Federal Farm Bill. If passed as part of the next Federal Farm Bill, this legislation will realize the potential of the existing Whole Farm Revenue Protection Program to provide financial resiliency and stability for producers historically left out of federal crop insurance programs. The bill addresses common barriers to this promising but complex insurance program by streamlining paperwork, expanding the Micro Farm pilot policy, raising the annual growth limit, strengthening the diversification discount, appropriately compensating crop insurance agents who sell WFRP policies, and more.

View LSP’s fact sheet on the Whole Farm Revenue Protection Improvement Act here.

Senator Tina Smith has been an active co-sponsor of this legislation, but Senator Amy Klobuchar has not yet expressed her support. To get this bill across the finish line, we need to demonstrate to Senators Smith and Klobuchar that this must be a top priority for them.

If you are a Minnesota farmer, please take just one minute to add your name to our Farmer-Sign-On Letter by November 10 to urge our U.S. Senators to make the WFRPIA a top priority for the next Farm Bill!

Add Your Name Here

LSP staff and farmer-members who are traveling to Washington, D.C., in mid-November will hand deliver this letter to our Senators’ offices to make sure they see the farmer constituents they have who are counting on them to get the Whole Farm Revenue Protection Improvement Act passed into law. Please add your name today! 

Category: Action Alerts
Tags: 2023 Farm Bill • crop insurance • federal ag policy • Whole Farm Revenue Protection Improvement Act

Contact

Amanda Koehler. LSP policy manager, e-mail, 612-400-6355

Upcoming Events

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August 2025

Wednesday August 27

10:00 am – 4:30 pm
Field Day: Farmer-Distiller Grain Connection
Wednesday August 27
10:00 am – 4:30 pm
Field Day: Farmer-Distiller Grain Connection
Paxton, IL 60957, USA

Join OGRAIN, Artisan Grain Collaborative, The Land Connection, and IDEA Farm Network for this unique field day tailored for farmers and distillers alike to learn in the field and at the distillery. Dallas and Will Glazik will lead attendees through Cow Creek Organic Farm’s organic fields and discuss proper food-grade grain handling. The day will end with a distillery tour, grain quality talk, farmer-distiller social event, and optional tasting at Silver Tree Spirits.

For details and to register, click here. 

September 2025

Monday September 1

All Day
Final Deadline for LSP's Farm Beginnings Course
Monday September 1
Final Deadline for LSP's Farm Beginnings Course

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.

Friday September 5

9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Soil Health Field Day on the Cotter Farm: Austin
Friday September 5
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Soil Health Field Day on the Cotter Farm: Austin
50203 205th St, Austin, MN 55912, USA

 Sign up today for a get-together down on Tom Cotter’s Farm. This field day brings together food companies, local farmers and other professionals in agriculture — a perfect opportunity for networking and discussion.
Hear from soil health experts, then board the Topless Bus to take a tour of Tom’s farm. A FREE TACO BAR LUNCH will featureTom’s own grass-fed beef, along with authentic, homemade tortillas and rice. Featured speakers include soil scientist Kris Nichols and agronomist Joe Ailts.
 
You can check out the field day flier here. For more details and to register, click here.

Saturday September 6

9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Soil & Food Health Field Day: Austin
Saturday September 6
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Soil & Food Health Field Day: Austin
50203 205th St, Austin, MN 55912, USA

Details are here.

Monday September 8

7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Anne Biklé in conversation with Ross Evelsizer: What Your Food Ate
Monday September 8
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Anne Biklé in conversation with Ross Evelsizer: What Your Food Ate
Pulpit Rock Brewing Company, 207 College Dr, Decorah, IA 52101, USA

Join Anne Biklé (co-author, What Your Food Ate: How to Restore Our Land and Reclaim Our Health) and NEIA RC & D Natural Resource Projects Director, Ross Evelsizer, for a conversation and Q & A session followed by a book signing. Everyone is invited to this free event sponsored by the Oneota Valley Literary Foundation, with support from Pulpit Rock Brewing and Dragonfly Books.
 
Details on the Sept. 8 event are 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

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