When it comes to the crop insurance sweepstakes, southwest Minnesota farmer Darwyn Bach is a winner. But he concedes that his good fortune presents a quandary, since the way the program is implemented these days creates significant losers: the soil, beginning farmers and Main Street businesses that suffer when the number of families in a… Read More →
We wanted to reach out to fill you in on what is going on at the Minnesota Legislature when it comes to the prioritization of emerging farmers in Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and Rural Finance Authority (RFA) programs. While we laid out the full context in this blog, here are the top five things… Read More →
Earlier this month, Land Stewardship Project farmer-members James Kanne and Adam Griebie flew to Washington, D.C., with me for a few days to gather with farmers and organizers from across the Midwest who are a part of the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment and to meet with members of Congress about our shared… Read More →
Land access is the top challenge emerging and beginning farmers face. At the same time, ownership of millions of acres of agricultural land is changing hands as farmers and ranchers across the country retire — presenting an important opportunity to shape the future of our farm and food system. This is the moment for Congress… Read More →
This week, the Land Stewardship Project is reaching out to farmers across Minnesota and Wisconsin with an important message: now is the time to sign-up for a program that rewards you for practices that produce positive conservation benefits on the land. The deadline for enrolling in the current Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) round of contracts… Read More →
SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Farmers and other rural residents traveled to the Minnesota Capitol today to call on lawmakers to preserve a major source of funding for healthcare programs in the state. Since 1992, stable funding for public healthcare programs and public health initiatives in Minnesota has come from a small tax paid by healthcare… Read More →
Legislation Providing Children with Local, Healthy Foods Draws Bipartisan Support at State Capitol SAINT PAUL, Minn. — A bipartisan bill that would provide school districts across the state with a reimbursement for feeding students healthy, local foods through farm-to-school initiatives was introduced in the Minnesota Legislature today. Senator Mike Goggin (R-Red Wing) and Representative Todd… Read More →
Bill Contains Some LSP Priorities, but Overall Federal Ag Policy Remains in Major Need of Reform MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The membership of the Land Stewardship Project (LSP) launched its “Our Farm Bill” campaign in 2017 to advocate for a Farm Bill that worked for people and the land. This vision called for a change in… Read More →
From the beginning of the 2018 Minnesota Legislative session, it was clear that corporate interests and their legislative allies were pushing for special treatment at the expense of rural communities, family farmers and Minnesota values. As an example, six days into the session, Dr. Marin Bozic, a dairy economist at the University of Minnesota, testified… Read More →
The Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment (CFFE), with member organizations in four Midwest farm states, criticized U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue’s Farm Bill priorities released today for not reforming programs currently hurting independent family farms, rural economies and clean water while supporting corporate interests—including factory farm livestock and dairy operations. CFFE… Read More →
