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Land Line: Bird Flu, Egg Prices, Immigration, Funding Freeze, Conservation $$

Feb. 17: An LSP Round-up of News Covering Land, People & Communities

By Brian DeVore
February 17, 2025

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The Unnatural History of Bird Flu

(2/12/25) Science journalist Brandon Keim, writing in Nautilus, provides an in-depth overview of the causes of the current H5N1 avian influenza outbreak, which has resulted in the death of 150 million chickens and turkeys, either by the virus itself or due to euthanasia as officials attempt to curb its spread. Despite claims by the poultry industry that small open-air flocks and wild bird populations are spreading the virus, the science indicates that the main culprit is the industry itself: concentrating thousands of birds in large-scale, industrialized operations has provided the perfect petri dish for the flu to fester, increase in virulency, and spread. Highlights:

  • A century ago, the average American chicken flock contained 70 birds. Today, the nine billion chickens slaughtered for meat each year in the U.S. are raised in buildings containing, on average, 20,000 or more birds, with roughly one square foot of space apiece. Eighty-five percent of all eggs come from operations containing between 50,000 and six million hens.
  • One scientist says that this type of production system makes poultry not only food for humans, but “food for flu.” Promoters of industrial agriculture, operating on a “myth” that CAFOs are self-contained and their pathogens controllable, have claimed that migrating birds and small-scale, pasture-based poultry producers are the source of the spread of H5N1. However several studies have shown how the flu, even when introduced by wild swans for example, doesn’t become deadly until it has an opportunity to incubate and spread in large scale  commercial operations.
  • Evolutionary ecologist Rob Wallace calls for industrial livestock to be replaced by agroecological systems in which meat comes from networks of small, locally owned farms whose practices are less likely to intensify disease.

Check out LSP’s Soil Health web page for resources on raising livestock utilizing regenerative methods. For details on our work to create a food system based on supporting regenerative production methods, see the Community-Based Food Systems page. For more in LSP’s work related to fighting factory farms, click here.

With Egg Prices Soaring, How to Find Affordable Cartons of Alternatives

(2/10/25) One major impact of the avian flu outbreak is that eggs are hard to come by, resulting in near record prices. The Star Tribune offers up some guidelines for procuring eggs. Highlights:

  • The article recommends buying from local farmers who don’t produce eggs utilizing large-scale confinement systems.
  • Such connections can be made via Community Supported Agriculture, at food co-ops, and through direct marketing.

LSP is working to create community food webs that better connect farmers and eaters. Check out this Ear to the Ground podcast for details. The Minnesota Grown Directory lists farmers who have eggs and other locally raised food available for direct purchase.

‘We Are Each Other’s Business’: Minnesota Advocates Rally Statewide to Show Support for Immigrants

(2/14/25) On Valentine’s Day, members of the Immigrant Defense Network turned out across Minnesota to spread a “Love Your Immigrant Neighbor” message and to inform people of their rights when confronted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who are enforcing mass deportation orders from the White House, according to the Sahan Journal. Highlights:

  • In November, more than 90 Minnesota groups formed the Immigrant Defense Network to protect the rights of immigrants and to make sure accurate information was being circulated to those communities. The Land Stewardship Project is a member of that coalition.
  • Organizers planned a day of action across Minnesota on Friday, including events in the Twin Cities, Rochester, Mankato, and Monticello.
  • The groups distributed thousands of Valentine’s Day cards that provided information about the rights that immigrants have.
  • Beth Slocum, the chair of LSP’s board, spoke at a Capitol press conference about the important role immigrants play in creating a regenerative, economically vibrant farm and food system.

You can view the Feb. 14 press conference and Beth Slocum’s comments here. On our website, LSP has created a Community Care resource page for immigrants and allies. LSP’s new long range plan describes how, among other things, the organization is committed to working with groups led by people of color to provide fair opportunities for all people to participate in a sustainable farm and food system.

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Farmers Are Out Millions After Trump Freezes USDA Funds

(2/11/25) The Washington Post writes that farmers are reporting missing millions of dollars of funding they were promised by the USDA, despite promises from the Trump administration that a federal funding freeze would not apply to projects directly benefiting individuals. Highlights:

  • The White House’s order to freeze funding impacts the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Rural Energy for America Program, both of which help farmers adopt practices that improve and protect the environment. EQIP, in particular, has proved invaluable for farmers adopting managed rotational grazing systems and cover cropping, for example.
  • Farmers who signed contracts with the USDA under those programs paid up front to build fencing, plant new crops, and install renewable energy systems with guarantees that the federal government would cover at least part of their costs. Funding for certain types of agricultural research was also frozen.
  • The administration rescinded the funding pause after a federal judge temporarily halted its implementation. But farmers were reporting that their funding remained frozen, even as USDA field offices were being forced to lay off staffers.

LSP’s government relations director, Laura Schreiber, was in Washington, D. C., last week, where she met with several members of Congress and shared stories of farmer-members who are being impacted by the funding uncertainty. For details on sharing your story and how to get a message to lawmakers about the importance of these programs, see LSP’s action alert.

The Financial Implications of Conservation Agriculture

(2024) A report created with the support of the North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education initiative gathers information from numerous studies to show the profitability that can result from adopting various farm conservation practices in the Upper Midwest. Highlights:

  • Cover crops add direct costs in the short term but can be profitable over time.
  • Midwestern farms achieve higher returns and lower costs when using methods that reduce tillage.
  • Studies have shown that using managed grazing systems can help producers achieve their income goals,
    lower income variability, and produce returns on investment. Pasture-based livestock production can also open up new marketing opportunities.

Information on building soil health profitably is available on LSP’s Soil Health web page. A recent LSP blog series describes how 11 farms are utilizing various regenerative production methods to become economically and environmentally sustainable.

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Category: Blog
Tags: bird flu • funding freeze

LSP Land Line

LSP Land Line is a regular round-up of local, regional, and national news that touches on the work of the Land Stewardship Project. We can’t include everything, but if you have a news item to submit, e-mail LSP’s Brian DeVore.

Quotes of the Day

 “If we were to get our drafting table up here, and we wanted to design how to make great virulence, this would be how.”

— evolutionary ecologist Rob Wallace

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“It scares me for the future of farming. Not just that funding won’t be available for new farmers that need it, but that farmers won’t trust the government going forward.”

— Maryland farmer Laura Beth Resnick

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“We believe that if Minnesota is to have a truly sustainable food and farming system it must be sustainable for everyone involved in that system, no matter their economic background, race, ethnicity, or country of origin.”

— LSP board chair & farmer, Beth Slocum

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LSP in the News

Check out recent media stories featuring LSP’s work here.

Upcoming Events

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October 2025

Tuesday October 28

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
MDA Grants Webinar
Tuesday October 28
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
MDA Grants Webinar
Zoom online

Are you interested in applying for a grant from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA)? On Tuesday, Oct. 28, from noon to 1:30 p.m., the Land Stewardship Project will be holding an online webinar on four grants that will be available this fall. MDA staffers will go over the details of these grants and how to apply for them.

 To sign-up, click here.  

 This webinar will feature information on four grants:

– AGRI Livestock Investment Grant

– AGRI Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Grant 

– Preparing for Extreme Weather (Prepare) Grant

– AGRI Protecting Livestock from Avian Influenza (Protect) Grant 

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

Wednesday October 29

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
Wednesday October 29
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement, 2800 University Ave, Des Moines, IA 50311, USA

The Johnson Center for Land Stewardship Policy is excited to share that one of our its primary pillars of work — a published collection of Paul Johnson’s writings —  is set for release on Oct. 2.  The book features a brief biography and a discussion of Paul’s ideas within the historical and future contexts of private lands conservation. 

For details on We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy click here.

Thursday October 30

5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
Thursday October 30
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Ave, Ames, IA 50010, USA

The Johnson Center for Land Stewardship Policy is excited to share that one of our its primary pillars of work — a published collection of Paul Johnson’s writings —  is set for release on Oct. 2.  The book features a brief biography and a discussion of Paul’s ideas within the historical and future contexts of private lands conservation. 

For details on We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy click here.

November 2025

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.

View Full Calendar

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