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LSP Platform Calls for Farm Bill that Supports Farmers, Rural Communities & the Land

Platform & Survey Results Released on Northfield Area Farm Today

August 16, 2022

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NORTHFIELD, Minn. — The new federal Farm Bill must benefit farmers, rural communities and the
land, rather than corporate interests, said farmer-leaders of the Land Stewardship Project (LSP) today during the release of the organization’s priorities for the nation’s most comprehensive agricultural policy initiative. LSP’s 2023 Farm Bill Platform, which was launched during an event at Legvold Farms near Northfield, is based on a three-state survey of farmers and food system workers in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa, as well as eight listening sessions LSP held in the region during the past several months. LSP’s Farm Bill Organizing Committee, which consists of farmers from across the region, helped developed the document.

“I constantly am told there is no interest from young people in farming, and that is simply not true,” said Claudia Lenz, a beginning farmer from Star Prairie in western Wisconsin and a member of the Farm Bill Organizing Committee. “I know many young people who would love to either start their own farm or continue to operate their families’ farms. But because of the steep prices of input costs, lack of land access and lack of viable markets for their products, they do not see this as an option. In this Farm Bill, I would like to see more support for small farmers, and I think that one of the best ways to do that is to put a stop to corporate consolidation in agriculture and food systems, across the board.”

Every five years, Congress drafts a new federal Farm Bill, which determines how tens of billions of dollars are spent on what’s grown on the landscape and who grows it, as well as the environmental impact of production systems, the safety of our food, and the economic health of rural communities. Congress has already begun debating the structure of the 2023 Farm Bill.

In the winter and spring of 2022, LSP, working with the National Young Farmers Coalition, Midwest Farmers of Color Collective, and others, undertook a farm bill survey which covered several topics, including: consolidation in agriculture, conservation and the effects of climate change, crop insurance reform, access to markets and regional food systems, and the barriers beginning and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) farmers face.

The survey (landstewardshipproject.org/farmbill2023), which had over 700 respondents — 52% of whom were from Minnesota — revealed that current agricultural policy imposes numerous barriers when it comes to many farmers who are instrumental in building strong, resilient and equitable food systems, according to Sarah Goldman, an LSP organizer, who, along with organizer Maura Curry, coordinated the study and analyzed the results. For example, federal policy has supported unprecedented consolidation in agricultural markets, with, for example, four packers controlling 85% of the beef market. Meanwhile, 50% of survey respondents had trouble maintaining access to viable markets or finding affordable farmland.

LSP farmer-member Dana Seifert said she knows these issues all too well.

“Rampant consolidation and vertical integration have let agribusinesses reap record profits to fork over to shareholders, while raising input costs for farmers and pushing a version of agriculture that is a major contributor to climate change,” said Seifert, who farms near Jordan in east-central Minnesota and is a member of LSP’s Farm Bill Organizing Committee. “Promoting policies that incentivize this type of agriculture limits the capability of well-run farms and ranches to keep local economies thriving and people healthy.”

Survey respondents also called for federal policy that stops making crop insurance a major engine of land consolidation and helps farmers deal with the onslaught of climate change. Ninety percent of the survey respondents said they’ve experienced more severe weather events in the past five years; 84% believe these effects are due to climate change.

“My farming operation consists of 950 acres in a corn-soybean rotation,” said LSP Farm Bill Organizing Committee member Adam Griebie, who farms near Hutchinson in central Minnesota. “All of the tillable ground is enrolled into CSP [Conservation Stewardship Program]. CSP gives me the opportunity to participate in conservation practices and become a better steward on my land. I wouldn’t be able to do to these activities without that funding.”

LSP has used these results to develop a Farm Bill Platform that addresses market consolidation, stops supporting the growth of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), supports beginning and BIPOC farmers, bolsters regenerative farming practices that build soil and helps make regional food systems economic engines in local communities, according to Goldman.

“The Land Stewardship Project works with thousands of farmers throughout the Midwest, and their message is clear — we want a Farm Bill that delivers for rural and urban communities, food system workers and the land,” she said. “We are in a time of unprecedented challenges, and it is time to enact a truly transformative Farm Bill.”

During today’s event at Legvold Farms, postcards calling for a Farm Bill that supports farmers, rural communities and stewardship of the land were collected by LSP and will be delivered to Minnesota U.S. Representative Angie Craig, who serves on the House Agriculture Committee.

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Category: News Releases
Tags: 2023 Farm Bill • ag consolidation • agriculture policy • beginning farmers • BIPOC farmers • climate change • crop insurance • Farm Bill Survey • local meat processing • LSP Farm Bill Platform • Midwest Farmers of Color Collective • National Young Farmers Coalition • regional food systems

Contact

Sarah Goldman, LSP organizer, e-mail, 612-400-6341

Report Available

LSP’s 2023 Farm Bill Platform is available at landstewardshipproject.org/farmbill2023

Photo Available

For a photo of the Farm Bill Platform release event, contact LSP’s Brian DeVore via e-mail

 

Upcoming Events

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October 2025

Thursday October 23

8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Farm to School & Early Care Grants Deadline
Thursday October 23
8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Farm to School & Early Care Grants Deadline
Online

School is back in session and this week’s cool temps definitely remind us all that fall is just around the corner. This time of the year also means that the application period is open for Minnesota’s Farm to School and Early Care grants.

Earlier this year, the Land Stewardship Project and our partners were successful in expanding funding for the AGRI Farm to School and Early Care program. The application window for the next round of funding is now open and will close at 4 p.m. Central Time (CT) on Thursday, October 23.

APPLY FOR FUNDING HERE

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is serving up two funding opportunities to help schools and early childhood education (ECE) centers buy Minnesota-grown and -raised foods. 

1.    First Bite Grants: Up to $5,000 (no match required) to kickstart local food purchasing through intentional, high-impact activities. 
2.    Full Tray Grants: Up to $35,000 (1:1 match required) to help experienced schools and ECE centers increase or expand their local food purchases. 

Equipment funding: First Bite and Full Tray applicants can also request up to $25,000 (1:1 match required) to support the purchase of kitchen equipment that will enhance their capacity to buy, prepare, and serve local foods.  

 These grants are open to: 
•    Public or private K-12 schools or school districts in Minnesota that participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
•    Early childhood education (ECE) centers that participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) in Minnesota

MDA encourages schools, districts, and ECE centers serving sovereign tribal nations to apply. 

 Local Tots Cost-Share Program
There are also funds available to reimburse family child care providers for buying Minnesota-grown and -raised foods used for meals and snacks as part of the the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP):

Interested providers must submit a Local Tots Cost-Share program Letter of Intent to participate. Award amounts will be up to $1,000 and there is a 1:1 cash match required for providers who received a Local Tots Cost-Share award in 2025. There is no cash match required if you are new to the program. 

Applications are due by 4 p.m. Central Time (CT) on Thursday, October 23, 2025. 

 Program details and online applications are available at http://www.mda.state.mn.us/farm-school-early-care-programs or by contacting the Grants Team at MDA.AGRIgrants@state.mn.us. 

 Want to learn more about eligibility, allowable expenses, and how to apply?

 Join the MDA for a virtual info session: 
First Bite and Full Tray Grant Info Session 
September 15, 2025, 2-3 p.m.
Register here

 Local Tots Cost-Share Info Session – for family child care providers
September 18, 2025, 1-2 p.m.
Register here

Farmers: Are you Interested in selling to a school near you? 
Send this opportunity along to the food service director at schools near you or connect with a Regional Local Food Coordinator to help you make connections with schools, childcare settings, and other opportunities to sell locally. These positions are supported by the Department of Education and Renewing the Countryside.

Saturday October 25

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
Saturday October 25
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
Madison Public Library - Central, 201 W Mifflin St, Madison, WI 53703, 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. 

During the Wisconsin Book Festival, Curt Meine will talk about the book in a discussion with author Sonja Trom Eayrs (Dodge County, Incorporated), in a session on “The Fight for Rural America.” 

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

Tuesday October 28

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
MDA Grants Webinar
Tuesday October 28
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
MDA Grants Webinar
Zoom online

Are you interested in applying for a grant from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA)? On Tuesday, Oct. 28, from noon to 1:30 p.m., the Land Stewardship Project will be holding an online webinar on four grants that will be available this fall. MDA staffers will go over the details of these grants and how to apply for them.

 To sign-up, click here.  

 This webinar will feature information on four grants:

– AGRI Livestock Investment Grant

– AGRI Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Grant 

– Preparing for Extreme Weather (Prepare) Grant

– AGRI Protecting Livestock from Avian Influenza (Protect) Grant 

For more information, contact LSP’s Alex Kiminski at akiminski@landstewardshipproject.org.

Wednesday October 29

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
Wednesday October 29
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement, 2800 University Ave, Des Moines, IA 50311, 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. 

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

Thursday October 30

5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
Thursday October 30
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Ave, Ames, IA 50010, 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. 

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

View Full Calendar

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