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LSP Awarded $305,000 by USDA to Build Community-Led Local Food Systems in West Central Minnesota

Project focuses on 5 counties in West Central Minnesota: Chippewa, Big Stone, Swift, Lac qui Parle & Yellow Medicine.

November 13, 2024

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MONTEVIDEO, Minn. — The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) has been awarded a $305,000 Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) grant by the USDA to support building a resilient and community-led local food system in west central Minnesota.

The new funding will be used to:

  • Increase local farmer income through sales to local wholesale buyers, including schools and food access programs.
  • Increase market access for producers by educating wholesale buyers and connecting them with local producers.
  • Increase local food access through local foods sales in schools, food access programs and food businesses.
  • Expand and strengthen private-public partnerships around local foods in west central Minnesota by adding new partners to the Minnesota Valley Local Foods Network.

“The core of our mission is soil health, more farmers on the land and building strong rural communities, and local foods are such a big part of that,” said Scott DeMuth, a regional foods organizer for LSP. “The impact of a grant like this isn’t just purchasing food from local farmers. The economic impact for every dollar spent is another $1.60 that becomes wealth that is retained locally, instead of going into the hands of large corporations.”

The project funded by the LFPP grant focuses on efforts in five counties in west central Minnesota: Chippewa, Big Stone, Swift, Lac qui Parle and Yellow Medicine. In addition to farms and food businesses that grow, process and sell food, LSP will build off the community foods work happening in the towns of Appleton, Granite Falls, Madison and Montevideo. The initiative aims not only to meet the immediate needs of the local community, but also to develop a model that could serve as a blueprint for similar rural areas, maximizing both local economic benefits and food accessibility.

On the supply side, LSP will help specialty crop producers access wholesale markets through training and support in marketing, food safety and financial planning. The grant will provide funds to connect farmers to a broader network of buyers, including through school and food access programs and via in-person matchmaking events. It will also help develop relationships with partners such as Countryside Public Health, University of Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission, the Real Food Hub and Madison Mercantile.

“Partnering with the Land Stewardship Project strengthens Toad Hill Farm’s efforts to expand availability of local foods through our farm business,” said Davis Bonk of Toad Hill Farm in rural Chippewa County. “We are excited about being a part of this project and increasing aggregation, distribution and sales of locally produced specialty crops.”

On the demand side, LSP will develop new markets for producers by engaging schools and food access programs (such as food shelves and elder meal programs), host producer-buyer matchmaking events, develop marketing tools for farmers and help bring aggregator partners and other buyers onto the Open Food Network sales platform.

“The LFPP grant made through the Land Stewardship Project is the bridge we need to make local food production and distribution a viable opportunity for our region,” said Kris Shelstad, executive director of Madison Mercantile, one of LSP’s partners in the project. “We are excited to be a part of creating a model in west central Minnesota that can be replicated across the state and country.”

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The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering an ethic of stewardship for farmland, promoting sustainable agriculture and developing healthy communities in the food and farming system. LSP has offices in the Minnesota communities of Montevideo, Lewiston and South Minneapolis. More information is at landstewardshipproject.org.

Funding for the Local Food Promotion Program was made possible by a grant/cooperative agreement from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA. The USDA Local Foods Promotion Program is implemented under the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP), a program authorized by subtitle A of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946. LFPP funds projects that develop, coordinate, and expand local and regional food business enterprises that engage as intermediaries in indirect producer to consumer marketing to help increase access to and availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural products. More information is at ams.usda.gov/services/grants/lfpp.

Category: News Releases
Tags: direct maketing • farm-to-school • local food systems • rural economic development

Contact:

Olivia Blanchflower, LSP development director, e-mail

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August 2025

Tuesday August 5 – Thursday August 7

Farmfest 2025
Tuesday August 5 – Thursday August 7
Farmfest 2025
28366 County Hwy 13, Morgan, MN 56266, USA

Details are here.

Thursday August 7

12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Unlocking Conservation Resources for Communities & Farms
Thursday August 7
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Unlocking Conservation Resources for Communities & Farms
Red Rock Center for the Arts, 222 E Blue Earth Ave, Fairmont, MN 56031, USA

Join Renewing the Countryside and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) this summer at one of their eight conservation events in a town near you, where you will:

  • Learn how conservation benefits Minnesota’s rural communities.
  • Hear from a panel of local speakers.
  • Discover available NRCS Farm Bill programs and the economics of on-farm practices.
  • Enjoy a complimentary lunch, plus a chance to win door prizes.
  • Network with local farmers, neighbors, and conservation professionals.
  • Receive helpful materials and personalized support on next steps after the event.  

For more information, click here. 

Locations & Dates:
Each event is free, open to all, and runs from noon to 2 p.m. at the venues listed. Space is limited, please register in advance.

  • Hallock (Kittson County) – Tues, July 22 @ Far North Spirits
  • Elbow Lake (Grant County) – Wed, July 23 @ Elbow Lake Community Building
  • Sleepy Eye (Brown County) – Thur, July 24 @ Sleepy Eye Brewing Company
  • Milaca (Mille Lacs County) – Tues, July 29 @ Gorecki Community Center
  • Mora (Kanabec County) – Thur, July 31 @ Sapsucker Farms Yellow Belly Cidery
  • Owatonna (Steele County) – Tues, August 5 @ Owatonna Public Utilities Building
  • Jordan (Scott County) – Wed, August 6 @ Ridges at Sand Creek
  • Fairmont (Martin County) – Thur, August 7 @ Red Rock Center for the Arts

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
CFFE Tariffs & Ag Webinar
Thursday August 7
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
CFFE Tariffs & Ag Webinar
Online Webinar

Join the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment online on Thursday, August 7, for an update on where things stand with tariffs and what that means for food and farm policy and the factory farm system. We’ll cover the basics of how trade policy impacts agriculture, what recent changes mean for the U.S. food system, and ways to get involved in the fight for fair trade and fair markets. 

The Land Stewardship Project is a longtime coalition member of the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment. I hope you can join this informative session!

Speakers for this webinar include Patty Lovera from the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environnment and Ben Lilliston from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

When: Thursday, Aug 7, 2 p.m. Central/3 p.m. Eastern
Register in advance at this link

After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing information about joining the webinar. For more information, contact LSP policy director Sean Carroll at scarroll@landstewardshipproject.org.
 
 

Friday August 8

4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Roots & Rotation Grazing Field Day
Friday August 8
4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Roots & Rotation Grazing Field Day
10470 190th St, Park Rapids, MN 56470, USA

Roots and Rotation is a summer field day series happening across Minnesota. These field days will discuss the use of livestock for soil health goals in different agricultural systems. 
 
Learn about the benefits of integrating livestock onto cropland and how to make it work on your operation. Hear from experienced farmers and Extension educators specializing in crops, livestock, and soil health. These events are for producers looking to elevate their cropland soil health and increase their forage resources. 

For more information and to register, see the Minnesota Grazing Lands Conservation Association website.

4:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Sunflower Social Farmer Gathering
Friday August 8
4:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Sunflower Social Farmer Gathering
22955 570th Ave, Austin, MN 55912, USA

Members of the Land Stewardship Project’s Austin Area Soil Health Hub are hosting a sunflower social on Tom and Kim Finnegan’s farm Friday, Aug. 8, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. This event will be open to all area farmers. Meet members of this peer-to-peer farmer group, see the beautiful sunflower fields, and learn about diversification.  

Farming should include a trusted network that ensures we are all successful. How could having a network of farmers that provide support, resources, and comradery impact your farm? 

On Aug. 8, gather with area farmers who are invested in soil health and sustainable practices, and are committed to learning from each other. Join us for an evening on the Finnegan farm for a hay ride around the sunflower fields and to learn more about their diversified farm. There will be a supper and lots of time to connect with farmers in the area.

RSVP here. 

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