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Rural Voices Hold More Power Than You Think

By Dan Wilson, LSP member
May 5, 2022

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Like many people, I watched with hope as the protests in Minneapolis and across the country made possible the idea of significant police reform. I also watched with horror in 2021 as those reform efforts stalled in the Minnesota Senate. Being a white farmer living in rural Minnesota, I felt removed and powerless as all this happened. I couldn’t take the time to go to a march or rally in the Twin Cities. And I didn’t have the capacity to organize a rally in my local town. However, the then President of the Senate (now Senate Majority Leader), Jeremy Miller, is my Senator. I didn’t need to drive three hours to a protest; I could just pick up the phone.

When we think of an abuse of power, we typically think of politicians enacting racist and harmful policies. However, an abuse of power is also not using the power given to you to enact positive policies. My Senator, Jeremy Miller, is guilty of the latter. However, I am also guilty of same abuse of power. I live in Senator Miller’s district, and I have not been pressuring him to act for significant change. I sent him an e-mail, and I let it go at that. I didn’t give him a telephone call, I didn’t encourage others to do the same, and I didn’t schedule a meeting with him. Would Senator Miller have passed more police reform bills if he had more pressure from his district? I don’t know, which is why I finally reached out to set up a meeting with him — we have one now for May 7, from 10:30 a.m.-11 a.m., at Miller Scrap Metal & Iron Co. 

Many LSP members live in districts with legislators who hold a lot of power to make significant change for our state, yet they do not act in their communities’ interests. And because of white supremacy, those politicians give more weight to concerns held by white, rural, farming voters. We are in a unique position to push these lawmakers towards considering more transformative policies and to upend their assumptions about us. We are also in a position to vote them out when they are unwilling to listen.

You may think that you hold a minority view in your community; however, most policies championed by LSP in fact are very popular ideas. Which of your neighbors wouldn’t want cheaper healthcare, more money for farm conservation practices, or a convenient local butcher shop? The reality is that most political races are won or lost on voter turnout. In other words, how excited and engaged are the voters in your district? Because of this, apathy towards the political system only strengthens the incumbent. Politicians take our silence on these issues as consent to the status quo. However, by doing simple things such as writing an e-mail or making a telephone call to our local representative, we can demand that they use their power in a responsible way. As farmers, we are called to be stewards of our soil, and this also means being good civic stewards.

The truth is political work can be boring. I started farming because I love working outside, interacting with soil, and seeing simple tasks completed. On a nice sunny day, I would rather have my teeth pulled than sit down and send out an e-mail or make a telephone call to an apathetic politician. But if we write off the political process, we give up so much potential power to improve our lives. Now, thanks to Zoom meetings, I have been able to attend LSP town halls while making dinner or watching my daughter. Just like with doing my farm bookkeeping, I now set aside a small amount of time every week for political work. And just like my bookkeeping, I always dread doing it, but feel much better once it is done.

Police reform, health care reform, action on climate change, and agriculture reform are actually in our grasp. As members of LSP, we have seen that politicians can change their opinions and policies can change. Minnesota needs transformative change on so many issues, and as rural citizens, it is our representatives that are often blocking this progress for our communities. I invite you to join me in talking with Senator Miller on May 7 for positive change in our community and our state. Reach out to me at wilson.a.daniel@gmail.com if you’re ​interested in coming. 

Dan Wilson is an LSP member and farmer in southeastern Minnesota.

Category: Blog
Tags: local democracy • Minnesota Legislature • racial justice

Upcoming Events

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September 2025

Thursday September 18

5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Minnesota Women in Conservation: Conservation Land Walk in Dawson
Thursday September 18
5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Minnesota Women in Conservation: Conservation Land Walk in Dawson
Dawson, MN

During this Minnesota Women in Conservation event, participants will walk around a “homestead” farm site — exploring areas and goals the landowner hopes to improve in the future, including pollinator habitat, perennial plantings, wind breaks, privacy/noise screens, water quality improvements, well sealing, and compost placements. Participants will hear feedback and recommendations from a conservation professional on potential programs that could assist the landowner in achieving those goals. 
 
This is a FREE event, but you must RSVP here to get the address. For more information and to RSVP, click here.

Saturday September 20

All Day
Farm Aid
Saturday September 20
Farm Aid
Huntington Bank Stadium, 420 23rd Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA

 Farm Aid is heading to Minnesota for the first time for its 40th anniversary festival on Saturday, Sept. 20, at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The event will launch a year-long celebration of four decades of impactful advocacy, historic cultural moments and unforgettable music.

Farm Aid 40 — a full day of music, family farmers, HOMEGROWN food and agricultural experiences — will feature performances by Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young (and the Chrome Hearts), John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews (with Tim Reynolds), and Margo Price, as well as Billy Strings, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Trampled by Turtles, Waxahatchee, Eric Burton of Black Pumas, Jesse Welles, Madeline Edwards and more artists to be announced.

For details, click here.

Monday September 22

9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Twin Cities Urban Farm Bus Tour
Monday September 22
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Twin Cities Urban Farm Bus Tour
Leatherdale Equine Center, 1801 Dudley Ave, St Paul, MN 55108, USA

Join University of Minnesota Extension, Hennepin County, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service on Monday, Sept. 22, for a bus tour of urban farms. We’ll discuss the challenges of city growing, including compaction, contamination, soil health, water management, and more. And we’ll learn about how growers are using soil health practices to mitigate these challenges. Stops will include: 

  • The St. Thomas research gardens, where researchers have been studying different methods for maintaining fertility in urban garden beds for 8+ years, and learning about how these different approaches impact soil health and water quality
  • Our Roots Community Garden, where gardeners have implemented a variety of soil health practices to remediate a brownfield contaminated site into a lush garden with healthy soil and plants. Gardeners here are also working to establish a micro forest at the site
  • Urban Roots farm at Rivoli Bluff. The team at Urban Roots has worked for years to establish a thriving farm at a former street sweeping site. They’ve tried many different practices to address compaction, replace invasive species with native plants to mitigate erosion, and to grow vegetables for their community. 

This is the first tour in a three part soil health bus tour series. Participants can sign up for just one, two, or all three tours. Register at https://z.umn.edu/vegetablebustours. The cost is $15 (flat fee, covers 1, 2, or 3 tours). There are more details in the attached flyer.

Tuesday September 23

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Why Birds Belong on the Farm: Biodiversity, Pest Control & A Thriving Landscape
Tuesday September 23
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Why Birds Belong on the Farm: Biodiversity, Pest Control & A Thriving Landscape
Online

This 10-lesson Wild Farm Alliance virtual course teaches agricultural professionals and farmers how to support beneficial birds and manage pest birds on farms. By learning how to assess the farm’s avian needs and opportunities, farms can be designed to provide for a diversity of beneficial birds. 

If pest birds are a problem, they can be discouraged with specific practices during the shorter periods when they cause damage. The sessions cover the latest research, tools and resources, and are given by experts in avian pest control, entomology, ornithology and conservation. While many topics and species are specific to the Midwest, most of the principles discussed are applicable across regions. 

Continuing Education Credits have been requested and are expected to be approved from American Society of Agronomy.

For details and to register, click here. 

The Course Schedule:

LESSON 1

Why Birds Belong on the Farm: Biodiversity, Pest Control & A Thriving Landscape

Tuesday, September 23, 2 p.m. CT


LESSON 2

Birds as Pest Control Allies on the Farm

Tuesday, October 14, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 3

Birds in the Balance: Pest Control Services Across Crop Types

Tuesday, November 4, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 4

Integrating Habitat into Croplands: Prairie Strips and Bird Conservation

Tuesday, December 2, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 5

Birds on the Farm: Balancing Biodiversity and Food Safety

Tuesday, January 13, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 6

Beyond the Crop: Birds, Biodiversity, and the Power of Edge Habitat

Tuesday, February 3, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 7

Bridging Forestry, Farming, and Habitat

Tuesday, February 24, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 8

Perennial Pathways: Agroforestry for Birds and Biodiversity on Farms

Tuesday, March 17, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 9

Birds on the Range: How Grazing Practices Shape Habitat for Grassland Species

Tuesday, April 7, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 10

Birds at Risk: How Pesticides Shape Safety on Agricultural Lands

Tuesday, April 28, 11 a.m. CT

6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Kitchen Table Conversation About Immigration & Our Farm & Food System
Tuesday September 23
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Kitchen Table Conversation About Immigration & Our Farm & Food System
Mankato, MN, USA

Since January, the Land Stewardship Project has been an active member of the Immigrant Defense Network because we know our goal of having a sustainable, regenerative farm and food system will not be reached without racial, gender, and economic equity. This means equity for farmers, farmworkers, and all who are engaged in the food and agriculture system. We all have a stake in protecting our immigrant neighbors.  

Learn more about LSP’s involvement in this work through a recent Ear the Ground podcast episode: Ear to the Ground 373: Know Your Neighbors.

To learn more about how our base is experiencing this issue, we are hosting small-group kitchen table conversations and one of these conversations will be in Mankato, Minn.
 
What: A time to come together with neighbors to deepen our understanding of what’s at stake for people and the land.
Where: At the home of an LSP member in Mankato (address will be sent to confirmed attendees).
When: Tuesday, Sept. 23, from 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Please e-mail Emily Minge at eminge@landstewardshipproject.org if you’d like to be a part of this conversation or if you have any questions. Are there others in the Mankato community who you think should be there? E-mail Emily their name and we can extend the invite.

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