It is becoming clearer that the chances of the U.S. Congress passing a new Farm Bill by the Sept. 30 deadline are slim. The main roadblock is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and the expanded work requirements called for in the House version. The House and Senate versions of the Farm Bill are currently… Read More →
It is time to acknowledge that the private, profit-making “nonprofit” corporate model is failing nearly all of us. Healthcare is a crisis for most people across the U.S., particularly in our rural areas. People delay going to the doctor because of $7,000 to $13,000 deductibles. Local newspapers announce benefit events to finance a child’s expensive… Read More →
With spring fully and finally here, things are busy on my farm, but I wanted to take a moment to write to you about an issue moving forward at the Minnesota Capitol that goes against some of the most important principles and values I have. And I want to ask you to take action with… Read More →
The Minnesota Legislative Session ends May 21 and corporate interests and their legislative allies are pushing bills that violate Minnesotans’ values and put corporate interests before the public good. We need to speak up now to ensure these harmful policies don’t pass. Many of the worst policies have been rolled into a massive omnibus finance… Read More →
Crop Insurance Changes Needed in 2018 Farm Bill MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The nation’s biggest farm “safety net” has evolved into a program that harms family farms, the land and rural communities, while bolstering profits for major insurance companies, including one headquartered in Minnesota. That’s the conclusion of “Crop Insurance: A Torn Safety Net,” a special… Read More →
The Land Stewardship Project board of directors has recently adopted a statement on climate change to help guide the organization as we move forward. As a member of LSP’s board, I am glad we have developed this statement, which can be seen here. This work and some changes in my family’s life—we recently moved to… Read More →
The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is under threat. This is an attack on our soil, our water and our work to build a healthier food and farming system for all. In their first draft of the 2018 Farm Bill, House Agriculture Committee leaders are talking about dramatic cuts to the program—or even eliminating it altogether.… Read More →
Appeal of Lower Court Ruling Puts County Feedlot Permit on Hold ZUMBROTA, Minn. — Residents of Zumbrota Township in southeastern Minnesota’s Goodhue County filed an appeal today with the Minnesota Supreme Court in an ongoing effort to protect their community from a proposed factory hog farm. The proposed facility would house 4,700 hogs, a 3.5-million-gallon… Read More →
NORTHFIELD, Minn. — Details on how to apply for the newly launched Minnesota Beginning Farmer Tax Credit will be the focus of a Land Stewardship Project workshop on Monday, Jan. 22, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at First United Church of Christ, 300 Union St., in Northfield. Dessert and coffee will be served. There… Read More →
On an afternoon in late June, west-central Minnesota farmers Anne and Peter Schwagerl walk out of the bright sun into the deep shade of an old granary that has six separate storage areas for various kinds of harvested crops—a throwback to an era when most Midwestern farms produced more than corn and soybeans. On many… Read More →
