LSP Members Shaped the Outcomes & Continue to Build Power to Make Transformational Vision a Reality During the recently concluded session of the Minnesota Legislature, Land Stewardship Project members from across the state were deeply engaged in advancing our vision for a transformational farm and food system that fosters strong family farms, vibrant rural communities,… Read More →
The 2017 Minnesota state legislative session is complete, including a four-day special session that was needed for the Legislature to finish passing a budget. Land Stewardship Project members and staff were active throughout the session fighting for healthcare policies that put people before corporate profits. On a positive note for healthcare, the Legislature provided short-term… Read More →
Thanks to the recently passed 2014 Farm Bill, federally subsidized crop insurance is an even bigger player in determining what the landscape looks like. That’s troubling, considering that in recent years that impact has been mostly negative, since the program removes most of the risk associated with plowing up acres formerly considered too erosive, wet… Read More →
Cover crops proved themselves foul weather friends during the Great Drought of 2012. A groundbreaking farmer survey conducted in the Upper Mississippi River watershed showed that during that year’s brutal growing season keeping the soil covered with small grains and other plants helped fields preserve enough precious moisture to provide a yield bump of, in… Read More →
At a time when we’re all scanning the dark horizon of recession land for any economic spark, local food systems look to be a flare-up that’s got some staying power. The past several weeks have been full of signs that both in Minnesota and nationally producing and consuming food in our own collective backyard isn’t… Read More →
For decades, Land Stewardship Project members have been organizing to ensure that our federal farm policy serves people and the land, not corporate interests. This latest Farm Bill cycle has been no different. With approximately $1.5 trillion on the table, it’s important that LSP members are engaged in the process of drafting and passing a… Read More →
There is less than one month left in the 2024 Minnesota legislative session. This week, the House and Senate are finalizing and passing their separate omnibus policy and supplemental budget bills, which will then be sent to conference committees where differences between the proposals will be hammered out. This session, the Land Stewardship Project has… Read More →
Last year, the Land Stewardship Project celebrated the historic investments in emerging farmers that we won at the Minnesota Capitol. One of these wins included doubling the funding for and prioritizing emerging farmer applicants within the Minnesota Farmland Down Payment Assistance Program, which the Land Stewardship Project worked on with the Midwest Farmers of Color… Read More →
The Federal Farm Bill is the single most important piece of legislation shaping our farm and food system. It spends over $1.5 trillion on nutrition programs, crop insurance, commodity programs, conservation programs, and more. The next Farm Bill, which could still be passed this spring or by early summer, impacts each and every one of… Read More →
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Members of the Land Stewardship Project (LSP) today applauded the recent announcement that U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D – MN) has signed on as a co-author of the Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) Improvement Act. If incorporated into the next Farm Bill, this legislation would expand insurance access to farmers historically left out… Read More →
