Good news! State legislation that reinstates the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Citizens’ Board is moving forward, but legislators are going to need to hear from constituents for it to pass (HF 973—Persell, SF 627—Marty). You may recall that during the last hours of the 2015 Minnesota legislative session, language was inserted into a massive… Read More →
In 2012, I had the great fortune to get a tip about a group of farmers, scientists and government soil conservationists who had teamed up in south-central North Dakota to take a holistic approach to making the land more resilient. By focusing intensively on building soil health utilizing a combination of practices—no-till, managed rotational grazing,… Read More →
SAINT PAUL, Minn. — As traditional local foods and direct-to-consumer markets have become increasingly saturated, a number of farmers and buyers in Minnesota are working together to re-shape the local foods economy. The Land Stewardship Project’s (LSP) Farm Viability Steering Committee is offering an “Innovative Markets Forum” on Thursday, March 7, from 4 p.m. to… Read More →
SAINT PAUL, Minn. — The crisis facing family farmers and how our state leaders can take meaningful action will be the focus of a special hearing of the Minnesota House of Representatives’ Agriculture and Food Policy and Finance Division on Thursday, Jan. 31, beginning at 9:45 a.m., in Room 200 of the State Office Building… Read More →
PRESTON, Minn. — A Land Stewardship Project (LSP) workshop called, “Cover Crops, No-Till & Grazing: Evaluating the Economics and First Steps to Improving Soil” will be held Friday, Feb. 15, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the St. Columban Church in Preston (408 Preston St. NW). It will feature presentations by southwestern Minnesota farmers… Read More →
Public Outcry for Environmental Impact Statement Results in Permit Denial ST. PAUL, Minn. — After months of public pressure and in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Commissioner John Linc Stine announced on Dec. 18 that a controversial factory hog farm proposed by Catalpa Ag in Newburg Township in Fillmore… Read More →
Demand an Environmental Impact Statement on Proposed Fillmore County Factory Hog Farm On Tuesday, Dec. 4, beginning at 6:30 p.m., the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is holding a public meeting on the proposed Catalpa, LLC factory hog farm. The meeting will be at the Mabel Community Center (201 South Main Street, Mabel, Minn.). MPCA… Read More →
Innovative Farming Requires an Innovative Approach to Soil Health It’s a bright June day in southeastern Minnesota, and the hilly landscape is in full summer bloom. But as Chuck Henry watches his dairy herd graze a mix of winter wheat and Sudan grass, he has numbers on his mind: 33,000 bites per day, per cow;… Read More →
Sylvia Luetmer talks about why helping beginning farmers get access to land isn’t enough, and how society needs to come to grips with the kind of food system it wants. (5th in a series on Our Minnesota Future)
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is avoiding ordering an in-depth Environmental Impact Statement of the proposed Catalpa, LLC factory farm. The agency needs to hear from us (again)! State law requires that if a project has “the potential for significant environmental impacts,” then an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) must be completed. An EIS fully… Read More →
