Land Stewardship Project

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Factory Farms

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Factory farms pose a serious threat to the health and well-being of rural communities. These large-scale industrial operations push family farmers off the land and put independent producers out of business. Local economies suffer as more and more land is consolidated into fewer and fewer hands. Factory farms also pose numerous environmental hazards — such as water pollution, noxious odors, and toxic air emissions — that greatly impact the health of nearby residents.

Yet, for decades, Land Stewardship Project members have used the power of local democracy to stop factory farms and build more vibrant rural communities. Through local control, townships and counties can block unwanted development, planning instead for projects that put the land and the people first.

LSP members have also worked at the state level for policies that hold factory farms accountable to higher standards. For example, members fought for policies that control hydrogen sulfide emissions and require factory farms to build covered, concrete lined basins for hog manure lagoons.

A recent blog on a factory farm fight LSP is currently involved in highlights what is at stake and what can be accomplished when community members make their voices heard.

Click Here to Get Involved with
Factory Farm Organizing

Check Out Our Latest Action Alerts

LSP Powerline Story Center

Do you care about the future of your rural community? Do you want to be heard? Submit your story to LSP’s Powerline Story Center today!

The Winona County Factory Farm Fight

During the past three years, a dairy CAFO in Minnesota’s Winona County has made repeated, unsuccessful attempts to force through an unprecedented expansion that could have profound negative impacts on the community. A major reason that, despite backing from powerful interests, Daley Farm has not been successful in ignoring common sense rules is that Winona County residents have repeatedly made their voices heard. Their message is  clear: exceeding the animal unit cap is not good for the land, water, family farms, or rural communities. Check out this page for more on their fight.

Take the Pledge: Say NO to Factory Farms

In the Upper Midwest, we know how special the land that sustains us is. Factory farms jeopardizes not only the land itself but the communities that rely on it. They threaten the water and land with pollution, force small to mid-sized farmers out of business, and weaken local economies. Join other LSP members in taking the “No to Factory Farms” pledge today.

Factory Farm Resources

• Manual: Protecting Your Township From Unwanted Development: A Guide for MN Townships on Using the Interim Ordinance

• Myth #57: Abusive Work Conditions are ‘Essential’ to Heading off a Meat Famine

• Myth #60: CAFO Digesters are a Good Public Investment

• Myth #56: Mega-Dairies = Mega-Benefits for Rural Communities

• The Money Pit: How Minnesota Property Taxpayers are Subsidizing Factory Farms

• Fact Sheet: Factory Farming’s False Promise

• Fact Sheet: Hometown Factory Farm Fighting

• Fact Sheet: Hydrogen Sulfide and Factory Farms

• Fact Sheet: Writing a Letter to Your Newspaper: Putting pen to paper can be a powerful media tool

Related Posts

  • Comments Needed: New MPCA General Feedlot Permits

    July 3, 2024

    On Monday, June 24, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) opened a public comment period for Minnesotans to respond to proposed changes to two permits…

    Action Alerts
    CAFOs, factory farms, feedlot permits, feedlots, karst, manure, MPCA, water pollution, water quality
    Comments Needed: New MPCA General Feedlot Permits
  • Support Lowered Environmental Review Thresholds for Manure Digesters

    April 19, 2024

    Every three years, the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (EQB) publishes an updated Mandatory Category Report detailing project types that require environmental review in our state…

    Action Alerts
    CAFOs, clean water, Environmental Quality Board, factory farms, manure, methane digesters
    Support Lowered Environmental Review Thresholds for Manure Digesters
  • community holding signs against factory farms

    LSP Applauds State Supreme Court’s Rejection of Daley Appeal

    March 19, 2025

    LEWISTON, Minn. —  The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) applauded the Minnesota Supreme Court’s recent decision to deny a Winona County factory farm owner’s attempt to…

    News Releases
    Big Ag, CAFO, Daley Farm, factory farm, local control, local democracy, nitrate pollution, Winona County
    LSP Applauds State Supreme Court’s Rejection of Daley Appeal

Contact:

Matthew Sheets, LSP organizer
e-mail, 612-767-9709

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      • Ear Bites Community-Based Food Podcast Series
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        • Anti-Competitiveness & Price Gouging
        • LSP Powerline Story Center
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        • A Farm Bill For Us
      • State Policy
        • MN Farm, Food & Climate Funding
      • Developing Leadership
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Upcoming Events

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July 2025

Friday July 25

9:00 am – 2:30 pm
Ray Archuleta Soil Health Series: White Earth
Friday July 25
9:00 am – 2:30 pm
Ray Archuleta Soil Health Series: White Earth
1482 MN-200, Mahnomen, MN 56557, USA

Details are here.

Saturday July 26

9:00 am – 2:30 pm
Ray Archuleta Soil Health Series: White Earth Nation Community Day
Saturday July 26
9:00 am – 2:30 pm
Ray Archuleta Soil Health Series: White Earth Nation Community Day
1482 MN-200, Mahnomen, MN 56557, USA

Details are here.

Tuesday July 29 – Wednesday July 30

Premier Soil Health School 2025
Tuesday July 29 – Wednesday July 30
Premier Soil Health School 2025
38270 Kenwood Ave, Redwood Falls, MN 56283, USA

Details are here.

Tuesday July 29

12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Unlocking Conservation Resources for Communities & Farms
Tuesday July 29
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Unlocking Conservation Resources for Communities & Farms
Gorecki Community Center, 435 2nd St NW, Milaca, MN 56353, USA

Join Renewing the Countryside and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) this summer at one of their eight conservation events in a town near you, where you will:

  • Learn how conservation benefits Minnesota’s rural communities.
  • Hear from a panel of local speakers.
  • Discover available NRCS Farm Bill programs and the economics of on-farm practices.
  • Enjoy a complimentary lunch, plus a chance to win door prizes.
  • Network with local farmers, neighbors, and conservation professionals.
  • Receive helpful materials and personalized support on next steps after the event.  

For more information, click here. 

Locations & Dates:
Each event is free, open to all, and runs from noon to 2 p.m. at the venues listed. Space is limited, please register in advance.

  • Hallock (Kittson County) – Tues, July 22 @ Far North Spirits
  • Elbow Lake (Grant County) – Wed, July 23 @ Elbow Lake Community Building
  • Sleepy Eye (Brown County) – Thur, July 24 @ Sleepy Eye Brewing Company
  • Milaca (Mille Lacs County) – Tues, July 29 @ Gorecki Community Center
  • Mora (Kanabec County) – Thur, July 31 @ Sapsucker Farms Yellow Belly Cidery
  • Owatonna (Steele County) – Tues, August 5 @ Owatonna Public Utilities Building
  • Jordan (Scott County) – Wed, August 6 @ Ridges at Sand Creek
  • Fairmont (Martin County) – Thur, August 7 @ Red Rock Center for the Arts

Wednesday July 30

5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Healthy Roots & Clean Boots: Soil Health Event for the Whole Family
Wednesday July 30
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Healthy Roots & Clean Boots: Soil Health Event for the Whole Family
1015 70th Ave SE, Murdock, MN 56271, USA

This is a free, family-friendly Swift County SWCD event all about soil health and sustainable farming. Explore exciting, hands-on exhibits and demonstrations designed to teach both kids and adults about how farmers are caring for the land. There will also be several agricultural vendors on site, including consultants, product suppliers, and more.

Enjoy activities like:

  • Rainfall Simulator
  • Cover Crop Plots
  • Stream Table
  • Seeding Drone Displays
  • Soil to Snack
  • The Edible Underground
  • ​GeoSandbox Explorer
  • Equipment Displays
  • Ask-a-Soil-Health-Farmer Booth 

A free-will donation meal will be served, with all proceeds supporting local soil health programs. 

For details and to register, click here. 

View Full Calendar

Recent Posts

  • Social Sustainability: Fostering Farmer-Focused Communities  July 24, 2025
  • A Healthy Hub of Activity July 21, 2025
  •  Beginning Farmer Program for MN, WI & IA Accepting Applications for 2025-2026 Course July 16, 2025
  • Land Line: Tax Bill’s Ag Impact, Farmer Privacy, CAFO Water Demand, Honeybees, Nitrates, Solar’s Bright Spot, Farm Bankruptcies July 15, 2025
  • ‘Bringing Small Grains Back to Minnesota’ Meeting Aug. 2 in Madison  July 14, 2025

Montevideo

111 North First Street
Montevideo, MN 56265

(320) 269-2105

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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