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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

♦ ♦ ♦

LSP in the News

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

Upcoming Events

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October 2025

Thursday October 9

5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Minnesota Women in Conservation Fall Learning Circle
Thursday October 9
5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Minnesota Women in Conservation Fall Learning Circle
Dawson, MN 56232, USA

Participants will walk around a “homestead” farm site, exploring areas and goals the landowner hopes to improve in the future, including pollinator habitat, perennial plantings, windbreaks, privacy/noise screens, water quality improvements, well sealing, and compost placements. Participants will hear feedback and recommendations from a conservation professional on potential programs that could assist the landowner in achieving those goals. This will be an active event.

Please bring a camp chair and a potluck dish. The host will provide the main dish, so think about bringing sides and dessert. For details and to reserve a spot, click here. For questions, contact LSP’s Alex Kiminski at akiminski@landstewardshipproject.org.

Friday October 10

8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Weaving a Wider Community: Seeing & Countering Racism in Our Backyard
Friday October 10
8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Weaving a Wider Community: Seeing & Countering Racism in Our Backyard
111 N 1st St, Montevideo, MN 56265, USA

Join LSP and CURE for a community event at the Land Stewardship Project office in Montevideo (111 N. First St.), from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Friday, Oct. 10. This event includes lunch catered by El Mana; please register by Oct. 3 to be included in the food count.

You can RSVP here.

The Racial Equity Conference, organized by the Greater Minnesota Partnership of the Facilitating Racial Equity Collaborative, has been specifically designed to bring engaging content to local communities through a unique pairing of online speakers and in-person local sessions. The morning’s online content will include a conversation focused on seeing and countering racism in rural communities, moderated by Eryn Gee Killough, paired with two outstanding keynote speakers, Jenna Grey Eagle and Ron Ferguson, who have experience working in rural communities. 

This online content will be exclusively available to local community gatherings. Each gathering will gear their in-person activity to their specific community with the goal of extending the impact of the conference to others throughout the following year. Join LSP and CURE for this western Minnesota gathering, or if a different location works better for you, check out all the local gatherings on the FREC site,

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out. LSP’s Nick Olson can be reached via e-mail at nicko@landstewardshipproject.org.

9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Intensive Small-Scale Market Gardening Bus Tour
Friday October 10
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Intensive Small-Scale Market Gardening Bus Tour
Leatherdale Equine Center, 1801 Dudley Ave, St Paul, MN 55108, USA

Explore profitable small-scale farming (1–5 acres) and soil care. Visit a cooperative incubator farm and a thriving suburban market garden. Learn about cover crops, reduced tillage, high tunnel soil health, and support for growers.

This is the second tour in a three-part soil health bus tour series. Participants can sign up for just one, two, or all three tours. Register at https://z.umn.edu/vegetablebustours. The cost is $15 (flat fee, covers 1, 2, or 3 tours). There are more details in the attached flyer.

Saturday October 11

11:00 am – 2:00 pm
LSP-COPAL Visita a la Granja | Farm Tour
Saturday October 11
11:00 am – 2:00 pm
LSP-COPAL Visita a la Granja | Farm Tour
36919 County 57 Blvd, Dennison, MN 55018, USA

Building off the success of last year’s farm event with COPAL in Austin, Minn., this year Land Stewardship Project and COPAL members and supporters will gather at the Young-Walser Family Farm in Dennison, Minn. for a festive and delicious farm tour on Saturday, Oct. 11, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. We invite you to come and meet new folks, learn new skills, and try new food! 
 
This year’s COPAL-LSP farm event offers a little something for everyone: 
 
🍯 Honey sampling and the opportunity to purchase from Homestead Honey Farm. 
 
🍎 Apple cider pressing and tasting. (BTW, we’re still looking for an apple press if you or a farmer friend have one nearby we could borrow for this event!) 
 
🌽 Nixtamalization workshop and fresh, homemade tortillas, made with corn grown by LSP and COPAL members at the Young-Walser Family Farm! 
 
🍅 Salsa making and cricket-eating competitions! Yes, you heard that right —we’ll have the opportunity to sample crickets, a delectable crispy and savory snack commonly enjoyed throughout Mexico and Central America. Stay tuned for details on how to enter either competition. 
 
🥾 A tour of the Young-Walser farm, nestled in the beautiful Sogn Valley not far from Cannon Falls, Minn. Enjoy a tromp through the corn and squash fields and hike in the nearby woods. 
 
🌮 A shared meal and opportunity to hear from LSP and COPAL organizers about our participation in the Immigrant Defense Network. 

Let us know you can make it to ensure we order enough food and supplies! Carpools from Minneapolis and Rochester will be available to all attendees. 

________________________________________________

¡Únete a LSP + COPAL para nuestro recorrido anual comunitario en la granja!
Un espacio divertido para tod@s donde exploraremos la agricultura, aprenderemos sobre el campo y participaremos en actividades prácticas. ¡Uno de los momentos más especiales será hacer tortillas frescas junt@s!

Compartiremos un delicioso almuerzo comunitario, preparando tacos en estilo potluck (tipo convivio). Te invitamos a traer un platillo o acompañamiento para compartir.

También estás invitado@ a llegar temprano (desde las 9 AM) para ayudar a cosechar calabazas que sembramos. Puedes llevarte algunas a casa, y el resto se donará a un banco de alimentos local.

El Land Stewardship Project (LSP) es una organización aliada de COPAL que trabaja por sistemas alimentarios y agrícolas más sostenibles y justos. LSP y COPAL están unidas en su lucha por instituciones democráticas sólidas, comunidades saludables y acogedoras, y una ética de cuidado hacia la tierra y las personas que nos alimentan.

Tuesday October 14

11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Birds as Pest Control Allies on the Farm
Tuesday October 14
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Birds as Pest Control Allies on the Farm
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

View Full Calendar

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