Blog

Land Line: Soil Health Survey, Central MN Nitrogen Pollution, Bucking the Nitro Trend, New Food Movement?, New Crop Barriers, CAFOS & Climate, Ag Policy Post-Blue Wave

Sign Up for E-mail Delivery of The Land Line Soil Health Survey: 5 Key Takeaways from Minnesota Farmers (10/29/26) Minnesota Crop News reports on the results of a survey of 1,100 farmers across Minnesota to better understand their perspectives on soil management and soil health practices. Highlights: Over 80% of respondents feel a responsibility to…  Read More →

Protecting What Our Neighbors Have Built

LSP & Farm Commons Launch Asset Protection Video Series

What would happen to his farmland if he were detained or deported?  That was the question a Latino immigrant farmer brought to Land Stewardship Project organizer Nick Olson and myself in early 2026. He and another LSP partner, a trusted friend with citizenship that he wanted to help safeguard his farm, came to us looking…  Read More →

Making a Hard Thing Less Hard

Reflections on Helping Retiring Farmers Take that Next Step

Note: As the Land Stewardship Project gets ready to offer the 2027 edition of its popular Farm Transition Planning Course this winter, organizer Karen Stettler reflects on what she’s observed since we started offering the course in 2016. For more on the 2027 Farm Transition Planning Course and to sign-up as a participant, click here. You…  Read More →

Land Line: Egg Cartel, Family Negotiations, Another Bailout, MAHA Promises, Food Crisis, Silvopasturing, Manure Rates

Sign Up for E-mail Delivery of The Land Line Maybe There Was an Egg Cartel After All (10/18/26) Politico describes in detail evidence strongly indicating that major egg companies colluded to drive up the price of their product to record levels in recent years. It turns out charges that these firms worked together to bring…  Read More →

Land Line: Regenerative Ag Mixed Bag, High Input Costs, Crop Insurance, Cropland Ecology, Fertilizer Use, Avian Flu’s Bovine Jump, Meat Processing

Sign Up for E-mail Delivery of The Land Line USDA’s Regenerative Pilot Program Expansion Contradicts Farm Bill’s Funding Cuts (10/2/26) Brownfield Radio Network reports on the USDA’s plans to expand its Regenerative Pilot Program and concerns that conservation program cuts will undermine its implementation. Highlights: The USDA announced increased financial assistance for the Regenerative Pilot…  Read More →

Land Line: Conservation Cuts, Riverview, Rural Voices, USDA & Civil Rights, Grazing & Wildfires, Food Hub, Greenwashing, ICE Meat

Sign Up for E-mail Delivery of The Land Line U.S. Farmers Lost Conservation Experts in Trump’s Federal Cuts. Now They’re Hurting for Help (9/12/26) Harvest Public Media reports that cuts to the federal workforce have made it harder for farmers to get assistance in adopting conservation practices. Highlights:  The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)…  Read More →

Avian Ag

5 Examples of Farmers Bending the Bird Curve

Birds are in trouble, and nowhere is that more evident than in farm country. A study published in the journal Science earlier this year found that while bird populations are declining precipitously all across the United States, areas of intensive agricultural production in particular were “hot spots” for avian drop-offs. “What we found is that…  Read More →

Land Line: Riverview, Suppressing Speech? Groundwater, Archived Nitrogen, Unsafe Lettuce, Saving Ag From Itself, Wendell Berry, Jostocks’ Risk Reduction

Sign Up for E-mail Delivery of The Land Line Stevens County OKs Permit for Expansion of Riverview’s West River Dairy (9/8/26) The West Central Tribune reports that the Stevens County Board of Commissioners has given the green light to what will be the largest dairy operation in Minnesota history. Highlights: Morris, Minn.-based Riverview is seeking…  Read More →

Taking That Next Financial Step on Your Farm?

LSP Offering Free 1-on-1 Financial Coaching

Farming in the midst of tight land access, growth decisions, long-term transition planning, and a changing climate can bring up big questions about where your operation is headed. If you are looking for a grounded way to sort through those questions, the Land Stewardship Project is here to walk alongside you. LSP is opening applications…  Read More →

Land Line: Grazing Legislation, Diversification Barriers, Nitrate Cancer Review, Riverview Lawsuit, Devil’s Element, Local Meat Processing, Returning to the Farm

Sign Up for E-mail Delivery of The Land Line RANCH Act Introduced to Help Rebuild Cattle Herd (8/21/26) Beef Magazine reports that two U.S. Senators have introduced a bipartisan bill that has the goal of boosting the grazing of beef cattle on perennial grasses and forbs. Highlights:  The “Rebuilding America’s National Cow Herd (RANCH) Act,”…  Read More →