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Legislators Need to Bolster Local Processing in 2022

By Sarah Goldman
January 6, 2022

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The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fragility of global, concentrated supply chains. In addition, farmers adopting regenerative practices and growing food that nourishes people in Minnesota need markets to sell their production to. That’s why the Land Stewardship Project will be working during the 2022 session of the Minnesota Legislature to pass policies that help create a more resilient food and farm system. Here are three food-related areas LSP will be working on during the session:

Transition Planning

Just as farm owners face many challenges transitioning their operations to the next generation of farmers, so too do meat processors face significant obstacles in creating sustainable business transition plans when they reach retirement age. Often, a lack of holistic business transition planning leads to processors closing their doors when they reach retirement age or passing on their business to new owners who are not well prepared or informed about how to continue operating small processing facilities.

LSP is proposing a multi-faceted approach to business transition planning and transfer, including financial resources, incentives, and technical assistance. LSP feels the Minnesota Department of Agriculture should prioritize funding small meat processing projects that make necessary upgrades to existing facilities so that they can meet new inspection requirements, as well as projects that facilitate thoughtful business transition to new ownership and incentivize business planning.

Certification & Training

All meat and poultry processors under federal or state inspection are required to have Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) and a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan or plans in place. These measures help ensure that meat and poultry processors are producing safe products. However, there are limited HACCP training courses available in Minnesota to meet this requirement. LSP would like to see state funding to support HACCP training courses through local colleges, and funding for processors attending certification and training courses.

Workforce Shortages

Many meat processors cannot recruit and retain skilled workers to keep small plants running. In addition, when workers are available, plant managers often need to provide extensive training due to workers’ lack of previous experience in meat processing and meat cutting. The recent development of new meat processing courses and certification at two local Minnesota colleges is promising, but often students who would like to attend these colleges and become certified in meat processing face financial barriers to enrollment.

LSP would like to see state funding for tuition support for students interested in and committed to studying meat processing and pursuing a career in this sector. LSP would also like to see the creation of an apprenticeship navigator position to help connect meat processors to existing resources to facilitate apprenticeship opportunities.

LSP organizer Sarah Goldman can be contacted via e-mail or at 612-400-6341. More on LSP’s regional food systems work is at landstewardshipproject.org/regional-food-systems.

Category: Blog
Tags: COVID • food safety • HACCP • local meat processing • meat processing • Minnesota Legislature • regional food systems

Upcoming Events

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September 2025

Wednesday September 17

9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Grazing for Invasive Species Management in Oak Savannas
Wednesday September 17
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Grazing for Invasive Species Management in Oak Savannas
Myre-Big Island State Park, 19499 780th Ave, Albert Lea, MN 56007, USA

For details on this workshop, click here.

12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Extending the Grazing Season with Cover Crops & Native Grasses
Wednesday September 17
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Extending the Grazing Season with Cover Crops & Native Grasses
Bluffton Resort & Bar, 2619 W Ravine Rd, Decorah, IA 52101, USA

This Ducks Unlimited workshop will feature a discussion of how livestock producers can utilize cover crops and native grasses to extend the grazing season. Featured speakers include Adam Janke, who will discuss Iowa State University’s research on CRP grazing, and Brian Dougherty of Understanding AG, who will discuss the economics of grazing cover crops. There will also be a presentation on Ducks Unlimited’s Advancing Markets for Producers Partnership. 
 
For details, see this flier. or call Ducks Unlimited’s Liam Bonk at 612-483-3577. To register, click here.

Thursday September 18

5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Minnesota Women in Conservation: Conservation Land Walk in Dawson
Thursday September 18
5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Minnesota Women in Conservation: Conservation Land Walk in Dawson
Dawson, MN

During this Minnesota Women in Conservation event, 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, wind breaks, 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 is a FREE event, but you must RSVP here to get the address. For more information and to RSVP, click here.

Saturday September 20

All Day
Farm Aid
Saturday September 20
Farm Aid
Huntington Bank Stadium, 420 23rd Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA

 Farm Aid is heading to Minnesota for the first time for its 40th anniversary festival on Saturday, Sept. 20, at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The event will launch a year-long celebration of four decades of impactful advocacy, historic cultural moments and unforgettable music.

Farm Aid 40 — a full day of music, family farmers, HOMEGROWN food and agricultural experiences — will feature performances by Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young (and the Chrome Hearts), John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews (with Tim Reynolds), and Margo Price, as well as Billy Strings, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Trampled by Turtles, Waxahatchee, Eric Burton of Black Pumas, Jesse Welles, Madeline Edwards and more artists to be announced.

For details, click here.

Monday September 22

9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Twin Cities Urban Farm Bus Tour
Monday September 22
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Twin Cities Urban Farm Bus Tour
Leatherdale Equine Center, 1801 Dudley Ave, St Paul, MN 55108, USA

Join University of Minnesota Extension, Hennepin County, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service on Monday, Sept. 22, for a bus tour of urban farms. We’ll discuss the challenges of city growing, including compaction, contamination, soil health, water management, and more. And we’ll learn about how growers are using soil health practices to mitigate these challenges. Stops will include: 

  • The St. Thomas research gardens, where researchers have been studying different methods for maintaining fertility in urban garden beds for 8+ years, and learning about how these different approaches impact soil health and water quality
  • Our Roots Community Garden, where gardeners have implemented a variety of soil health practices to remediate a brownfield contaminated site into a lush garden with healthy soil and plants. Gardeners here are also working to establish a micro forest at the site
  • Urban Roots farm at Rivoli Bluff. The team at Urban Roots has worked for years to establish a thriving farm at a former street sweeping site. They’ve tried many different practices to address compaction, replace invasive species with native plants to mitigate erosion, and to grow vegetables for their community. 

This is the first 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.

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