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MDA to Gather Input on Socioeconomic Impact of Large-Scale Dairies in Minnesota

(7/16/26) Morning Ag Clips reports that the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is gathering public input on the socioeconomic impact of large-scale dairies in the state. Highlights:

• The MDA is soliciting input after the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) declined to require an environmental impact statement for Riverview LLP’s proposed expansion of its existing West River Dairy facility near Morris, Minn. If the proposed expansion moves forward, it will create the largest livestock operation in the state. By law, the MPCA must base their decision on environmental factors; however, the state agency received many comments through their public process on the social and economic impact of larger dairies. The MDA is defining “larger dairies” as approximately 10,000 or more cows.
• The MDA gathered input via two virtual meetings held on July 28, and is accepting written comments online until Oct. 1.
• MDA is seeking input on economic opportunities or challenges, community dynamics, quality of life, and other social and economic topics impacting communities around the state. A summary of the MDA findings will be shared with lawmakers ahead of the 2027 Minnesota legislative session.

For information on how to submit comments on the socioeconomic impact of large-scale dairies to the MDA before Oct. 1, see LSP’s latest action alert. Stevens County officials will have the final say on whether the Riverview expansion of the West River Dairy goes forward. On Aug. 3, at 7 p.m., the Stevens County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing in Morris to review Riverview’s conditional use permit application. It’s important that local citizens show up to be seen and heard on this issue. Details are here.

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U.S. Geological Survey Study Shows Rising Nutrient Loads in Rivers

(6/22/26) The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports on a U.S. Geological Survey study showing nutrient loads in rivers across the nation increased between 2000 and 2020, largely due to nutrients stored in the landscape from past seasons and current season agriculture nutrient applications. Highlights:

• According to the research, “lagged” non-point sources — those that take longer than one season to appear in a stream — were the largest contributors of total nitrogen and total phosphorus to streams. Non-point sources include agricultural, atmospheric deposition, urban, natural and septic sources.
• Non-point sources with lagged delivery contributed 48% of total nitrogen to streams and 35% of total phosphorus, according to the study. Fertilizer that was applied and ended up in a stream in the same season was the second-largest contributor, at 18% of total nitrogen and 22% total phosphorus. Treated wastewater was the next highest nutrient source, contributing 10% of total nitrogen and 20% of total phorphorus.
• An analysis of nutrient sources during different seasons showed that fertilizer was the dominant source of nutrient pollution, especially in the Midwest.

Check out LSP’s two-part Ear to the Ground podcast featuring a discussion with three crop producers about the need for policymakers, commodity groups, and farmers to address agriculture’s fraught relationship with water head on. 

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There’s Not One-Size-Fits-All for Cover Cropping

(6/11/26) A paper published in the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation looks at reasons why farmers are sometimes hesitant to adopt a soil-friendly practice like cover-cropping. Highlights:

• Researchers wanted to find out why, despite decades of well-documented data on the benefits of growing cover crops, they’re still planted on only about 4.7% of U.S. farmland. Eighty-six farmers from across the country representing a wide range of production systems were interviewed.
• Across all regions and production systems, farmers emphasized the importance of minimizing risk. For many producers, protecting the farm’s financial stability comes first. Farmers can’t afford costly risks when they’re already operating on razor-thin margins. At the same time, many farmers already using practices like cover crops say these practices help make their farms more resilient by improving water management and buffering against future risks.
• Another recurring theme was that many farmers feel misunderstood by the public. While society depends on farmers to produce safe, affordable food, several participants said they often feel blamed for environmental problems while receiving little recognition for the work they already do to improve soil, protect water, and care for their land.
• The research suggests that efforts to expand conservation practice adoption are more likely to succeed when support reflects the realities farmers face. For some producers, that means localized research and on-farm demonstrations that reduce the risk of trying something new. Others may benefit most from better access to equipment, technical assistance, or financial incentives. Trusted relationships also matter. Neighbors, local Extension professionals and fellow producers often have more influence than recommendations from outside their communities.

Looking to join a community of farmers who are sharing cutting-edge information on how to build soil health profitably? Sign-up for LSP’s Soil Builders’ Network. Network members receive regular updates on field days, workshops, research, and opportunities to connect with other farmers. For a glimpse at how farmer-to-farmer connections can help build regenerative practices, check out the “A Sense of Where You Are” blog series. 

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Federal Judge Orders Trump Administration to Restore Grants for Underserved Farmers

(7/9/26) Harvest Public Media reports that a federal judge has issued a temporary court order that requires the Trump administration to reinstate federal grants largely helping Black, Indigenous, veteran and immigrant farmers access land, which the USDA cut earlier this year. Highlights:

• The $300 million USDA program was designed to fund locally-led projects that help historically underserved farmers and ranchers, including Black, Indigenous and immigrant farmers, along with U.S. veterans and first-time producers. That includes projects that would have reached farmers in most states across the Midwest and Great Plains. Organizations were at different stages of the grant process when the grant was cut, leaving them and their work in limbo.
• Twenty-four of the organizations who had their funding cut joined a lawsuit against the USDA in May saying their grants were unlawfully terminated. While the case continues, a D.C. District Court judge granted a preliminary injunction and ordered the department to restart the grants by July 3. Amanda Koehler is the manager of the Land, Capital and Market Access Network, a group of the program’s awardees and sub-awardees. She said the court order means about $127 million in grant funding is restored as grantees wait for a final court decision.
• Cultivate Kansas City is part of the lawsuit. Executive director Brien Darby said the organization was in the middle of a $2.5 million grant for a project to help Kansas City growers access land and capital. This includes connecting farmers who are selling land to people who need it and a bridge loan program for government grants. The court order will allow the group to continue that work.

On Oct. 17, LSP and the Latino Economic Development Center will be holding a Spanish-language land access workshop in Saint Paul, Minn. For details, see our online events page. Looking for more land access resources? Check out LSP’s Accessing Farmland web page for tools, guides, and more.

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How Rotational Grazing Keys Better Grass, Happier Cows

(7/28/26) Wallaces Farmer describes how Iowa farmers Lisa and Alex Kubik are utilizing rotational grazing to manage a cow-calf herd. Highlights:

• The Kubiks rotate their 100 cows and accompanying calves through a series of paddocks every five to eight days over a grazing season that normally extends from early- to mid-May into mid-October. After that, they turn the cow herd out onto cornstalks and emerging cover crops until they can bring them in for calving. During winter, they feed the cows hay and silage.
• Each paddock normally receives at least five weeks of recovery. The Kubiks have bolstered pastures by reseeding them with a mix of clover, alfalfa, and cool- and warm-season grasses. “It’s amazing to see what kind of recovery you can see in five weeks,” Lisa told Wallaces Farmer. “The quality of the forages and the nutrition they give our cows is so much better than with conventional grazing. It also allows use of some of the smaller 5- or 10-acre pieces of ground around waterways and other areas that may not fit for raising corn and soybeans, but makes for good grazing.”
• Rotational grazing also fits into their herd-sizing strategy. Lisa noted that cattle prices will eventually back down from today’s lofty levels. This makes selling heifer calves rather than retaining them a tempting choice. The Kubiks, however, plan on retaining heifers to keep their income more consistent in future years. The grass produced by their rotational grazing strategy enables them to maintain this herd size.

A recent LSP Ear to the Ground podcast describes how southeastern Minnesota farmers Paul and Delores Moechnig are utilizing managed rotational grazing to create a profitable beef operation that’s building healthy soil, creating a tight nutrient cycle, and making the farm attractive to the next generation. The Moechnigs are members of one of LSP’s Soil Health Hubs, which bring farmers together in small, peer-to-peer groups to share information and support each other around adopting practices that build soil health profitably. Check out this blog for more on the Soil Health Hubs.

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Consolidated Food Supply May be Worsening Cyclospora Outbreaks, Experts Say

(7/27/26) Food safety experts say decades of consolidation across farming, processing, and distribution have increased the potential for a single contamination event to spread nationwide, according to CNBC. The current cyclospora outbreak that has sickened thousands in the U.S. is drawing renewed attention to a decades-long shift in how fresh food moves through the country. Highlights:

• While investigators work to identify the original source of cyclospora contamination, some food safety experts say the industry’s centralized sourcing and distribution networks after a wave of consolidation can help turn what once may have been an isolated contamination event into a multistate outbreak.
• Over the past several decades, U.S. agriculture and food distribution have steadily consolidated as companies pursue greater efficiency and national scale, according to the USDA. For example, Taylor Farms, the salad producer under scrutiny for the recent cyclospora outbreak, has seen significant expansion through a series of acquisitions over the past decade.
• “Consolidation means that if something goes wrong, it goes wrong big time,” said Marion Nestle, professor emerita of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University.

In the wake of the cyclospora outbreak, food safety experts are recommending purchasing lettuce and other greens from small, local producers. It turns out Minnesota has a thriving farmers’ market infrastructure. LSP is teaming up with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Minnesota Grown, Minnesota Farmers’ Market Association, and the Minnesota Farmers Union to celebrate National Farmers’ Market Week Aug. 3 – 9. To find your local farmers’ market, check out this Minnesota Farmers’ Market Association map. For information on LSP’s Community-Based Food Systems work, click here.

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