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Land Line: Food Systems, Funding Freeze, John Deere, Immigration, Regenerative Farm Family

March 3: An LSP Round-up of News Covering Land, People & Communities

By Brian DeVore
March 3, 2025

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Surrounded by Crops in Minnesota
Farm Country, but with Little to Eat

(2/26/25) Star Tribune columnist Karen Tolkkinen writes about the paradox plaguing rural communities in western Minnesota: despite massive amounts of land being devoted to agricultural production, little fresh, affordable food is available for local residents. Highlights:

  • A recent study of the food system in five Minnesota counties — Douglas, Grant, Pope, Stevens, and Traverse — found that residents drive 40 miles or more to Alexandria to buy groceries from Walmart, which opened in 1991, or Aldi, which opened in 2014. About half the grocery stores in those five counties have closed since 1990.
  • A recent food forum organized by the Land Stewardship Project at the University of Minnesota-Morris brought together farmers, retailers, students, and food system experts to talk about the role community-based food systems could play in supporting rural economies while feeding rural residents.

For more on LSP’s Community-Based Food Systems work, click here.

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Iowa Farmers are Relying on Now-Frozen Regional Food Infrastructure Grants

(2/26/25) Writing in the Iowa Capital Dispatch, farmers Wendy Johnson, Carmen and Maja Black, Jason and Hannah Grimm, and Emma and Marcus Johnson describe the community benefits that result from Regional Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) grants. These farmers are all recipients of RFSI grants, which have been frozen by the federal government. Highlights:

  • These grants are for one-time purchases to acquire equipment and improve facilities for local food aggregation and distribution. Some of these purchases have already been made with the contractual understanding that farmers would be reimbursed.
  • In late 2024, Iowa funded 24 RFSI grants, a $3,018,154 investment in Iowa agriculture. These projects are projected to support over 300 local farmers growing their farm businesses, increasing market access through connections to the food hub network that exists in Iowa.
  • These dollars help kickstart new Main Street businesses and support and provide markets for more Iowa food producers.

On Feb. 17, the Minnesota Senate Agriculture Committee heard LSP farmer-member Hannah Bernhardt and others discuss the impacts of the federal funding freeze and how this relates to state agriculture programs. Highlights of the hearing are available here. 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.

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Amid Trump’s Threats to Deport Workers, Wisconsin & Minnesota Dairy Farmers Travel to Mexico

(2/25/25) The Wisconsin Examiner‘s Ruth Conniff reports on a trip to Mexico organized by Puentes/Bridges to connect Wisconsin dairy farmers with the families of their workers.  Highlights:

  • John Rosenow, who dairy farms near Waumandee, Wis., says 13 of his 18 employees are from Mexico.
  • Latin American workers, most of them from Mexico, perform an estimated 70% of the labor on Wisconsin dairy farms. Almost all of the immigrant workers who milk cows in the U.S. lack legal status. While the U.S. government provides visas for migrant workers who pick seasonal crops and for immigrants with specialized technical skills, there is no U.S. visa program for low-skilled labor in year-round industries like dairy.
  • Undocumented workers pay about $97 billion in total taxes, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. About $26 billion of that goes to fund Social Security and $6 billion for Medicare — programs from which those workers are excluded.

LSP recently participated in a press conference organized by the Immigrant Defense Network; details are here. A Land Stewardship Letter review of Ruth Conniff’s book, Milked: How an American Crisis Brought Together Midwestern Dairy Farmers & Mexican Workers is available here.

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FTC Should Not Let John Deere Off the Hook

(2/19/25) Dave Dickey, a columnist for Investigate Midwest, writes about a recent lawsuit filed against John Deere by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the state attorneys general in Minnesota and Illinois. The lawsuit asks for a permanent injunction of Deere’s current practices that restrict farmers and independent repair shops from working on Deere equipment. Highlights:

  • The lawsuit charges that: “…Deere has acquired and maintained monopoly power in a relevant market for the provision of repair services that require the use of a fully functional repair tool…As a consequence, Deere’s dealers are able to maintain a 100% market share and charge supracompetitive prices for restricted repairs, and Deere itself reaps additional profits through parts sales.”
  • Dickey writes that, “The FTC complaint was a long time coming…Ask any farmer if they believe John Deere has been dealing off the top of the deck when it comes to software repair tools and you’ll get an earful.”
  • However, the new chair of the FTC, Andrew Ferguson, voted against the lawsuit moving forward, and says he is currently in discussions with John Deere about the issue.

Consolidation in agriculture and restrictions on farmers’ rights when it comes to repairing their own equipment will be the focus of a LSP town hall meeting featuring Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on Tuesday, March 4. Details are here.

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Growing Healthy Soil & Grass Regenerates
Minnesota Farm & Its Future

(2/25/25) The Bergler family is using managed rotational grazing and cover cropping to build soil health, which has resulted in healthier animals and a better quality of life for the family, reports Morning Ag Clips. Highlights:

  • Never applying more than 100 pounds of nitrogen fertilizer per acre, the Berglers harvest 230 bushel-per-acre corn behind a seven-way grain mix with peas and flax.
  • The Berglers no longer uses dewormer or other prophylactic vaccinations prescribed in conventional confined animal operations. The pregnancy rate of his herd is 99%.
  • “I used to feed 200 plus days a year,” said Luke Bergler. “Each day it would take about two hours of time. Now we feed less than 130-140 days a year and it only takes me 20-30 minutes. I used to haul 80-100 loads of manure each year and now I’m down to seven. All of those little things add up to an improved quality of life.”

The Berglers hosted an LSP soil health field day in 2022. Check out an LSP Ear to the Ground podcast interview with Luke Bergler here. 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.

♦ ♦ ♦

Category: Blog
Tags: community based food systems • funding freeze • immigration • regenerative farming • right to repair

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 Brian DeVore.

Quotes of the Day

 “It’s good that other people know that we’re not all bad people — that people know and can value the work and sacrifices we are making.”

        — Celeste Tzanahua Hernández, who lives in the Mexican state of Veracruz &
whose family has worked on dairy farms in Wisconsin 

♦ ♦ ♦

“It doesn’t mean we don’t have setbacks, challenges or financial issues. After all, we are American farmers. But when you abide by the principles, believe in the system and pay attention, it’s remarkable what can happen. There are so many things working now that it just blows my mind.”

        — Southeastern Minnesota farmer Luke Bergler

♦ ♦ ♦

“When we signed these contracts, we committed to what they contained and expected the government to honor its word.”

— Farmers Wendy Johnson, Carmen & Maja Black, Jason & Hannah Grimm, & Emma & Marcus Johnson

♦ ♦ ♦

LSP in the News

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

Upcoming Events

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October 2025

Tuesday October 7

6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
Tuesday October 7
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
The Landing Market, 211 College Dr, Decorah, IA 52101, 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. Details on the event are available here.

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

 

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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