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LSP’s 2021 MN Legislative Priorities

By Amanda Koehler
January 4, 2021

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For months, Land Stewardship Project members have been preparing to hit the ground running during the 2021 Minnesota legislative session to advance rural economic justice across the countryside. The 2021 session begins Tuesday, Jan. 5, and we need you with us. When we come together across zip codes, class, gender, and race, united in our values and vision, we have the power to shape our landscape and our future.

This legislative session, Land Stewardship Project members are advancing:

Economic Justice for Dairy Farmers

Just like when Walmart moves into town and closes Main Street, a single 10,000-cow dairy drives a hundred 100-cow dairies off the land. That’s why hundreds of dairy farmers are organizing through LSP to win a moratorium on new or expanding mega-dairies (dairy feedlots over 1,000 animal units). A moratorium is a cost-free investment into our current and future farming system.

Immediate Support for Farmers in Financial Crisis

As farmers across the state weather the compounding impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, six years of low prices, and skyrocketing healthcare costs, our state must provide immediate support for farmers. This includes extending mediation periods, preventing farm foreclosures, and investing in Farm Advocates.

100% Soil Healthy Farming

Farmers are uniquely positioned to both mitigate and build community resilience from the climate crisis, yet are on the front lines of weathering its impacts.

That’s why LSP farmer-members are organizing to provide resources to achieve a statewide goal of 50% Soil Healthy Farming by 2030, and 100% Soil Healthy Farming by 2035. Innovative farming that generates public goods requires public support.

Expanding our Local & Regional Food Systems

By creating a robust network of local processors and expanding local markets for farm products, including public institutional buying, we bring jobs to rural communities, bolster farm income, and build a more resilient and healthy farm and food system for all of us.

Rural Healthcare

Rural Minnesotans face some of the worst disparities in accessing the care they need. Ensuring that all Minnesotans have truly affordable, high-quality, accessible healthcare begins with expanding MinnesotaCare as a public option for all people, no exceptions. Additionally, we must provide financial relief to people facing the burden of our current profit-driven system.

Revenue

We must creatively and equitably raise revenue to ensure all Minnesotans thrive. Funding our communities, such as investments in healthcare and education, requires raising revenue. We all need to contribute our fair share, and that includes our most profitable corporations and wealthiest residents.

Strengthening and Protecting our Democracy

In Minnesota, we value people-powered governance. We will fight to protect voting rights, elections integrity, free speech, fair redistricting, and local control.

LSP organizer Amanda Koehler can be reached via e-mail.

Category: Blog
Tags: dairy crisis • dairy farming • local democracy • local food systems • rural healthcare • soil healthy farming

Contact

Amanda Koehler, LSP Policy manager, e-mail, 612-400-6355

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Upcoming Events

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March 2023

Tuesday March 21

9:00 am – 12:30 pm
Wholesale Readiness Training for Farmers
Tuesday March 21
9:00 am – 12:30 pm
Wholesale Readiness Training for Farmers

MISA, UMN Extension, and Renewing the Countryside are offering training and one-to-one technical assistance for farmers who want to grow their operation into wholesale markets. Wholesale isn’t just for large-scale distributors. You can use this training and support team to prepare to sell to schools, restaurants, grocery stores, and hospitals in your community. Participating farmers will be eligible for $500 mini-grants to cover expenses related to launching a wholesale enterprise. 

For details, click here.

Wednesday March 22

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Community Food Webs Learning Circle: Building Equity & Investing in Traditional, Indigenous Culture & Practices for Food Production, Health & Spirituality
Wednesday March 22
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Community Food Webs Learning Circle: Building Equity & Investing in Traditional, Indigenous Culture & Practices for Food Production, Health & Spirituality

Building strong community food networks where we live can move us powerfully toward our vision for functioning local and regional systems that support regenerative farming and provide all people with the nourishing foods they want and need. To explore how communities around the country are making this happen, in March LSP is hosting three learning circles focused on the book Building Community Food Webs, by Ken Meter.

Join us for just one session, or all three! Each session we’ll gather on Zoom for two hours — beginning at 7 p.m. — to discuss major themes from the book and generate ideas for our own communities.

Reserve your spot by signing up on our website:https://landstewardshipproject.org/learning-circles. Questions about getting signed up? Reach out to LSP’s Elizabeth Makarewicz at EMakarewicz@landstewardshipproject.org.

Thursday March 23

9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Ranching for Profit Workshop: 3 Secrets for Increasing Your Profit
Thursday March 23
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Ranching for Profit Workshop: 3 Secrets for Increasing Your Profit

Improving your farm business takes rolling up your sleeves and getting to work … not just IN your business, but ON it too. The Land Stewardship Project is hosting Ranch Management Consultant Dave Pratt, who will give workshop participants insights into threetools for improvingfarm profit. Dave won’t just be presenting information — you can expect plenty of small group interaction, case studies, videos, direct application to yourown situation and a healthy dose of humorto be used throughout the workshop.

You will learn:

● How to transform your farm into a successful business.
● The difference between economics vs. finance and why economics always comes first.
● The three things that youcan do to increase profit on your farm.
● How to identify theweak links and profit-drivers in your business.

Please register by March 17.

For more information and to register, click here.

10:30 am – 3:00 pm
LSP Upper Minnesota River Food Forum in Montevideo, MN
Thursday March 23
10:30 am – 3:00 pm
LSP Upper Minnesota River Food Forum in Montevideo, MN

Building strong community food networks where we live can move us powerfully toward our vision for functioning local and regional food systems that support regenerative farming and provide all people with the nourishing foods they want and need. To celebrate and explore how our local community is making this happen, the Land Stewardship Project will be hosting a Regional Food Forum to celebrate and grow our local foodshed. The Food Forum will be held at Table Two Twelve Chophouse, 4490 US-212, Montevideo, MN 56265.

Local food advocates, producers, and professionals will gather for panels, break-out sessions, and activities. Lunch will be served and an optional social hour will follow the event. There will be limited space available, so be sure to register here by March 17 and save the date for Thursday, March 23.

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Family Farm Breakfast Lobby Training
Thursday March 23
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Family Farm Breakfast Lobby Training

Join LSP to prepare for the 2023 Family Farm Breakfast Lobby Day on April 13! The training will be an opportunity to prepare how we will influence our elected officials to win real change on key LSP issues like soil health and climate solutions, healthcare reform, taking on corporate consolidation in agriculture, and more. This training will include: background on your legislators; templates for a legislative meeting; workshopping how to share our stories in a powerful, concise way; logistics; and more!

For more information and to register, click here.

View Full Calendar

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Montevideo, MN 56265

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Lewiston

180 E. Main Street
Lewiston, MN 55952

(507) 523-3366

Minneapolis

821 E. 35th Street #200
Minneapolis, MN 55407

(612) 722-6377

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