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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

Tuesday October 7

6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
Tuesday October 7
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
The Landing Market, 211 College Dr, Decorah, IA 52101, 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. Details on the event are available here.

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

 

Friday October 10

8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Weaving a Wider Community: Seeing & Countering Racism in Our Backyard
Friday October 10
8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Weaving a Wider Community: Seeing & Countering Racism in Our Backyard
111 N 1st St, Montevideo, MN 56265, USA

Join LSP and CURE for a community event at the Land Stewardship Project office in Montevideo (111 N. First St.), from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Friday, Oct. 10. This event includes lunch catered by El Mana; please register by Oct. 3 to be included in the food count.

You can RSVP here.

The Racial Equity Conference, organized by the Greater Minnesota Partnership of the Facilitating Racial Equity Collaborative, has been specifically designed to bring engaging content to local communities through a unique pairing of online speakers and in-person local sessions. The morning’s online content will include a conversation focused on seeing and countering racism in rural communities, moderated by Eryn Gee Killough, paired with two outstanding keynote speakers, Jenna Grey Eagle and Ron Ferguson, who have experience working in rural communities. 

This online content will be exclusively available to local community gatherings. Each gathering will gear their in-person activity to their specific community with the goal of extending the impact of the conference to others throughout the following year. Join LSP and CURE for this western Minnesota gathering, or if a different location works better for you, check out all the local gatherings on the FREC site,

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out. LSP’s Nick Olson can be reached via e-mail at nicko@landstewardshipproject.org.

9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Intensive Small-Scale Market Gardening Bus Tour
Friday October 10
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Intensive Small-Scale Market Gardening Bus Tour
Leatherdale Equine Center, 1801 Dudley Ave, St Paul, MN 55108, USA

Explore profitable small-scale farming (1–5 acres) and soil care. Visit a cooperative incubator farm and a thriving suburban market garden. Learn about cover crops, reduced tillage, high tunnel soil health, and support for growers.

This is the second 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.

Saturday October 11

11:00 am – 2:00 pm
LSP-COPAL Visita a la Granja | Farm Tour
Saturday October 11
11:00 am – 2:00 pm
LSP-COPAL Visita a la Granja | Farm Tour
36919 County 57 Blvd, Dennison, MN 55018, USA

Building off the success of last year’s farm event with COPAL in Austin, Minn., this year Land Stewardship Project and COPAL members and supporters will gather at the Young-Walser Family Farm in Dennison, Minn. for a festive and delicious farm tour on Saturday, Oct. 11, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. We invite you to come and meet new folks, learn new skills, and try new food! 
 
This year’s COPAL-LSP farm event offers a little something for everyone: 
 
🍯 Honey sampling and the opportunity to purchase from Homestead Honey Farm. 
 
🍎 Apple cider pressing and tasting. (BTW, we’re still looking for an apple press if you or a farmer friend have one nearby we could borrow for this event!) 
 
🌽 Nixtamalization workshop and fresh, homemade tortillas, made with corn grown by LSP and COPAL members at the Young-Walser Family Farm! 
 
🍅 Salsa making and cricket-eating competitions! Yes, you heard that right —we’ll have the opportunity to sample crickets, a delectable crispy and savory snack commonly enjoyed throughout Mexico and Central America. Stay tuned for details on how to enter either competition. 
 
🥾 A tour of the Young-Walser farm, nestled in the beautiful Sogn Valley not far from Cannon Falls, Minn. Enjoy a tromp through the corn and squash fields and hike in the nearby woods. 
 
🌮 A shared meal and opportunity to hear from LSP and COPAL organizers about our participation in the Immigrant Defense Network. 

Let us know you can make it to ensure we order enough food and supplies! Carpools from Minneapolis and Rochester will be available to all attendees. 

________________________________________________

¡Únete a LSP + COPAL para nuestro recorrido anual comunitario en la granja!
Un espacio divertido para tod@s donde exploraremos la agricultura, aprenderemos sobre el campo y participaremos en actividades prácticas. ¡Uno de los momentos más especiales será hacer tortillas frescas junt@s!

Compartiremos un delicioso almuerzo comunitario, preparando tacos en estilo potluck (tipo convivio). Te invitamos a traer un platillo o acompañamiento para compartir.

También estás invitado@ a llegar temprano (desde las 9 AM) para ayudar a cosechar calabazas que sembramos. Puedes llevarte algunas a casa, y el resto se donará a un banco de alimentos local.

El Land Stewardship Project (LSP) es una organización aliada de COPAL que trabaja por sistemas alimentarios y agrícolas más sostenibles y justos. LSP y COPAL están unidas en su lucha por instituciones democráticas sólidas, comunidades saludables y acogedoras, y una ética de cuidado hacia la tierra y las personas que nos alimentan.

Tuesday October 14

11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Birds as Pest Control Allies on the Farm
Tuesday October 14
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Birds as Pest Control Allies on the Farm
Online

This 10-lesson Wild Farm Alliance virtual course teaches agricultural professionals and farmers how to support beneficial birds and manage pest birds on farms. By learning how to assess the farm’s avian needs and opportunities, farms can be designed to provide for a diversity of beneficial birds. 

If pest birds are a problem, they can be discouraged with specific practices during the shorter periods when they cause damage. The sessions cover the latest research, tools and resources, and are given by experts in avian pest control, entomology, ornithology and conservation. While many topics and species are specific to the Midwest, most of the principles discussed are applicable across regions. 

Continuing Education Credits have been requested and are expected to be approved from American Society of Agronomy.

For details and to register, click here. 

The Course Schedule:

LESSON 1

Why Birds Belong on the Farm: Biodiversity, Pest Control & A Thriving Landscape

Tuesday, September 23, 2 p.m. CT


LESSON 2

Birds as Pest Control Allies on the Farm

Tuesday, October 14, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 3

Birds in the Balance: Pest Control Services Across Crop Types

Tuesday, November 4, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 4

Integrating Habitat into Croplands: Prairie Strips and Bird Conservation

Tuesday, December 2, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 5

Birds on the Farm: Balancing Biodiversity and Food Safety

Tuesday, January 13, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 6

Beyond the Crop: Birds, Biodiversity, and the Power of Edge Habitat

Tuesday, February 3, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 7

Bridging Forestry, Farming, and Habitat

Tuesday, February 24, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 8

Perennial Pathways: Agroforestry for Birds and Biodiversity on Farms

Tuesday, March 17, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 9

Birds on the Range: How Grazing Practices Shape Habitat for Grassland Species

Tuesday, April 7, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 10

Birds at Risk: How Pesticides Shape Safety on Agricultural Lands

Tuesday, April 28, 11 a.m. CT

View Full Calendar

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