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Gov. Walz Declares March 11 Land Stewardship Project Day

LSP Marks 40th Year of ‘Keeping the Land & People Together’ in 2022

March 11, 2022

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MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — As a Minnesota-based family farm and regenerative agriculture organization marks its 40th year of “keeping the land and people together,” Governor Tim Walz has declared March 11, 2022, “Land Stewardship Project Day.” Walz made the declaration today while participating in a Land Stewardship Project (LSP) virtual town hall with over 200 members of the organization. During the meeting, LSP members from across the state shared stories with Walz illustrating the need for state policies that support soil healthy farming practices, regional food systems and climate change mitigation. During the 2022 session of the Minnesota Legislature, LSP members are pushing several bills focused on supporting regenerative food and farm systems in the state.

The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) was  launched in 1982 by Ron Kroese and the late Victor Ray as a Midwestern-based soil stewardship advocacy organization. At the time, government policies and market forces were transforming agriculture into a “fencerow-to-fencerow” export-driven commodity system. As a result of this transformation, some areas of the Midwest were seeing soil erosion rates that were worse than what had occurred during the Dust Bowl. In addition, the 1980s Farm Crisis was decimating small and midsized family farm operations at a record pace.

While working as organizers for the National Farmers Union, Kroese and Ray saw the need for a grassroots group that would bring farmers together around the development and support of stewardship farming practices that were environmentally and economically sustainable. Forty years later, LSP still works extensively in the area of soil health and farmer-to-farmer education, but has also broadened its work into areas such as beginning farmer training, generational transfer of farmland, policy reform, local democracy and regional food systems development. At the core of its work are the values of stewardship, democracy, and racial and economic justice.

LSP (landstewardshipproject.org) has offices in the Minnesota communities of Lewiston, Montevideo and south Minneapolis, and works with 4,400 member households throughout the Upper Midwest. LSP’s membership is made up of farmers, as well as other rural residents and people who live in suburban and urban areas.

Gov. Walz’s Land Stewardship Project Proclamation

Whereas: The Land Stewardship Project was founded in 1982 to foster an ethic of stewardship for farmland, to promote sustainable agriculture and to develop healthy communities.

Whereas: The Land Stewardship Project works to unite 4,400 member households to advance positive change and build healthy and vibrant communities for everyone in right relationship with the land.

Whereas: The Land Stewardship Project is focused on building the infrastructure needed by small and midsized farms and by rural and urban communities to create functioning local and regional food systems that support regenerative farming and provide all people with the nourishing foods they want and need.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, TIM WALZ, Governor of Minnesota, do herby proclaim Friday, March 11, 2022, as: Land Stewardship Project Day across the state of Minnesota.

-30-

Category: News Releases
Tags: 40th anniversary • Gov. Tim Walz • Land Stewardship Project • meat processing • Minnesota Legislature • soil health

Contact

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

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Upcoming Events

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May 2025

Thursday May 15

5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
MN Women in Conservation
Thursday May 15
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
MN Women in Conservation
42652 County Rd 7, Belview, MN 56214, USA

Come out and play with MNWiC and Renville County Soil and Water Conservation District. Tour Iverson Tree Farm, learn from other women land stewards, and meet local Master Gardeners and conservation professionals who can help with your own land dreams.
 
For details and to register, click here.
 
 

Saturday May 17

11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Community Plant & Seed Swap
Saturday May 17
11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Community Plant & Seed Swap
Lift Bridge Brewing, 1900 Tower Dr W, Stillwater, MN 55082, USA

Lift Bridge Brewing Co. and Sustainable Farming Association are partnering to host a free seed and plant swap and fundraiser at Lift Bridge’s taproom in Stillwater. Vendor opportunities available. 
 
Details here.

Tuesday May 20

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Webinar on Agrivoltaics: Sheep Solar Grazing Producer Panel
Tuesday May 20
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Webinar on Agrivoltaics: Sheep Solar Grazing Producer Panel
Zoom Virtual

Participants will hear from sheep producers about their experiences, along with the benefits and challenges of grazing sheep under solar panels. This webinar is part of a series about cattle and sheep solar grazing and growing forages or grain crops under solar panels.
 
For details and to register, click here.

Thursday May 29

9:00 am – 12:30 pm
Storytelling for Sales: Digital Marketing for Sustainable Farmers
Thursday May 29
9:00 am – 12:30 pm
Storytelling for Sales: Digital Marketing for Sustainable Farmers
Zoom Online

Storytelling for Sales: Digital Marketing Best Practices to Get Your Farm’s Next Customer is designed to help farmers grow their customer base by sharpening their storytelling and digital marketing skills—whether they’re selling through farmers’ markets, CSAs, or direct-to-retail. This Greener Pastures and Meet the Minnesota Makers workshop will cover how websites and social media can actually convert viewers into buyers to creating content that builds community loyalty.

This workshop is also designed for ag educators, professionals, and partner organizational staff who support farmers directly and want to be well-versed on the marketing best practices to support direct-to-consumer farms. 

For details and to register, click here.

June 2025

Wednesday June 25

2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
LSP-PFI Grazing Field Day at Hoosier Ridge Ranch
Wednesday June 25
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
LSP-PFI Grazing Field Day at Hoosier Ridge Ranch
Hoosier Ridge Ranch, 15998 Wabasha County Rd 26, Altura, MN 55910, USA

Over the last 50 years, livestock have left many farms. Eric Heins is doing the reverse: bringing cattle – and their poop, pee and hooves – back to his land. Come see how Eric is using his Normande-shorthorn crosses in a variety of grazing situations. During this Land Stewardship Project-Practical Farmers of Iowa field day, you can view permanent pasture, where Eric (like everyone) is battling the cool-season grass takeover. You’ll also learn how Eric is using his cattle in cover crop mixes, prairie and woodlands.

Since purchasing the farm in 2020, Eric has converted the cropland to pasture. He also custom-farms a diverse rotation of crops, covers and small grains on neighboring farms, including an established prairie on Iowa Department of Natural Resources land. A possible bonus: Eric is hoping to have virtual fence collars by the time of the field day, but no guarantees!

A meal featuring Hoosier Ridge Ranch burgers will follow the field day.

See & Discuss

  • Cash-flowing the conversion to pasture on owned versus rented cropland
  • Stockpiling pasture for winter grazing
  • Mechanical buckthorn clearing for silvopasture
  • Grazing agreements on DNR prairie and neighboring cropland
  • A sudangrass mix after a canning pea crop
  • An extended rotation with oats, barley and Kernza

For more information, contact LSP’s Alex Romano at aromano@landstewardshipproject.org.

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