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 for a way to make sure things would be taken care of if he could no longer manage them himself. 

The farmer owned land and had a mortgage. His wife was not able to manage the financial and legal pieces, and he wanted to make sure someone he trusted could keep up with mortgage payments, taxes, and the other responsibilities that would not stop if he were detained. 

This felt important. Both men represented organizations and communities we work closely with, and here was a real, immediate need from a neighbor whose community has been under attack by this federal administration. He was asking how to protect what he had built. 

Nick and I arranged a conversation with the two men and Rachel Armstrong of Farm Commons for legal advice. Rachel treated the farmer as a client and worked through the best solution for his situation. Along the way, there was a lot of education for all of us about the mechanisms, the terms, the risks, and the advantages of different options. 

As we talked, the farmer saw a need beyond his own situation. A lot of people in his community, he told us, could benefit from a 101-level introduction to what he had just learned. This was all taking place last winter during the spate of ramped up detentions and deportations that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was undertaking in Minnesota and the region. We knew that many people were feeling attacked and in real danger of detention and deportation. Rachel suggested a series of introductory videos for different communities in Minnesota. We could take some of what we were learning together and make it available to more people. 

Then we had to scramble a bit to make it happen. LSP was able to dedicate $2,000–$3,000 from a language access and infrastructure grant we had from Mortenson. Farm Commons found additional funding, too. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture helped with written translations of the landing page and video titles, and Karla Montes del Oca with the MOKA Solutions Group helped us find interpreters and work through specific terminology and descriptions. 

With that support, we were able to get a basic set of Asset Protection videos made in English, Spanish, Somali, and Hmong. What began with one farmer’s question became a resource we could share much more widely. 

These videos are for anyone with assets who wants to understand the basics of protecting them when the owner cannot manage them, for any reason. That might mean a farm or another business, property, or a bank account. The series introduces tools such as powers of attorney, letters of instruction, and trusts in everyday language. 

They are a starting point, not legal advice. Our hope is that learning some of the terms and options will help people understand their choices and bring better questions to a legal professional. Farm Commons has been an important partner in making that knowledge more accessible. 

We also want to be honest about how these videos came together. They were made quickly, in response to an urgent need, and without much wider community input beyond the farmer who first came to us. LSP and Farm Commons welcome feedback on the videos and requests for further community engagement. We want to hear what is useful, what could be clearer, and what else people need. 

You can watch and share the Asset Protection video series here. Please help get these resources to neighbors and communities who might benefit, and bring us your thoughts and ideas. 

This project started with a farmer asking how to make sure his land and responsibilities would be cared for if he could not be there. We hope these videos can help more of our neighbors begin that conversation. 

Robin Moore is a land access organizer based in LSP’s Montevideo, Minn., office. Moore can be contacted via e-mail.