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LSP Board Chair: ‘We do love our immigrant neighbors and we need them.’

'Through much of LSP's work, we see firsthand the role that immigrant families play in revitalizing our rural economies.'

By Heather Benson
February 17, 2025

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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. Last 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 in those communities. The Land Stewardship Project is a member of that coalition.

On Friday, Beth Slocum, a Goodhue County farmer and LSP’s board chair, spoke alongside our Immigrant Defense Network partners in a Capitol press conference. You can view the press conference at the link below.

Transcript of Beth Slocum’s Remarks:

I’m a farmer and my husband and I raise sheep in Goodhue County. I’m also currently the chair of the board of the Land Stewardship Project.

The Land Stewardship Project is here today standing with our partner COPAL and other allies to support the many immigrant communities in Minnesota that are committed to and invested in our food and farming system. For over 40 years, the Land Stewardship Project has been dedicated to our mission of fostering an ethic of stewardship for farmland, promoting sustainable agriculture, and developing healthy communities in our food and farm system.

LSP’s members and supporters are farmers and non-farmers all over Minnesota and the Upper Midwest, and 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 — whether they are farmers, farmworkers involved in dairy production, or working in meat processing.

Through much of LSP’s work, we see firsthand the role that immigrant families play in revitalizing our rural economies and renewing our farmland and we value Minnesota’s long tradition of welcoming folks from different countries, many of whom bring their expertise and passion for farming with them. Our immigrant farmers bring new crops, new ideas, ingenuity, and innovation. They bring their skills and expertise and they help revitalize our rural communities and economies; they have been part of the backbone of our Minnesota food and farming system for many decades.

Our immigrant neighbors are deeply embedded in our food and farming system on our farmland, as well as in our towns and cities. Many have been here for generations and others recently arrived, bringing a passion for making their homes and livelihoods here.

We do love our immigrant neighbors and we need them; they are part of our next generation of small and mid-sized farmers. They are the promise of a stable and growing future for our small towns and cities and they bring aspirations and desires for a food and farming system that works for everyone.

We want our immigrant neighbors right here — so thank you and Happy Valentine’s Day.

Heather Benson is LSP’s communications specialist. LSP has created a Community Care resource page for immigrants and allies. LSP’s newest long range plan outlines, among other things, how the organization is committed to working with groups led my people of color to create fair opportunities for everyone involved in the farm and food system.

Category: Blog
Tags: civil rights • COPAL • immigration • regenerative farming • rural economic development • social justice

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.

View Full Calendar

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https://landstewardshipproject.org/lsp-board-chair-beth-slocum-the-chair-of-lsps-board-a-part-of-we-love-our-immigrant-neighbors-capitol-press-conference