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Tell Congress Farmers are being Harmed by Federal Funding Freeze

Take Action to Save Programs that Support Regenerative Ag, Emerging Farmers, Food Banks & a Healthy Environment

As you know, farmers across the country are facing critical challenges as the federal funding freeze continues to impact essential agricultural programs. Although farmers were not supposed to be affected by the federal funding freeze, we know that is not the reality on the ground. Last week, Land Stewardship Project staff traveled to Washington, D.C.,…  Read More

Emily Minge

Emily Minge began working in LSP’s Policy Department in January 2018 as the coordinator for the Family Farm Breakfast at the Capitol. Following the breakfast, she stayed on staff through the summer of 2018 to support the department’s work fighting the proposed Catalpa factory farm in southeastern Minnesota’s Fillmore County. She then left for the…  Read More

Brian DeVore

Brian DeVore joined LSP’s staff in 1994 and his responsibilities include coordinating media relations, editing the Land Stewardship Letter, producing the Ear to the Ground podcast, administering the organization’s website, and editing special publications. DeVore grew up on a crop and livestock farm in southwestern Iowa and, as a Peace Corps Volunteer, operated a dairy…  Read More

House Draft Farm Bill Fails Family Farmers, Rural Communities & the Land

Over the past two years, Land Stewardship Project (LSP) members and staff have worked hard together to advocate for a better Farm Bill. Through listening to LSP member-farmers and rural community members, it was clear that this Farm Bill must put people, communities and the land first. It must: • Respond to the current challenges…  Read More

UPDATE: Protect Southeastern MN from MN Sands’ Frac Sand Proposal

At its hearing on Sept. 9, members of the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (EQB) made it clear that they are hearing an outpouring of concerns from southeastern Minnesotans about the frac sand industry’s attempt to pave a path for frac sand mining across the region (see previous LSP action alert), spurring the EQB to decide…  Read More

One Disruption Away

I got a call from a colleague this morning asking how I was dealing with the corona virus pandemic and I said I was feeling grateful. Grateful to live in a rural area where my primary activity outside of working for the Land Stewardship Project is goofing around outside collecting firewood and going for long…  Read More

LSP Statement on MN Sands Petition to U.S. Supreme Court

Corporation Yet Again Ignores Local Democracy & the Will of the People Today, Minnesota Sands, LLC filed a petition asking the United States Supreme Court to hear an appeal in its lawsuit seeking to overturn the Winona County frac sand mining ban. Such requests are not automatically accepted by the Court, and given the utter…  Read More

Stages of Learning in Farming: Stage 0–Laying the Foundation

First, some background: I grew up on a conventional hay, corn and soybean farm in western Iowa and moved to Rochester, Minn., for work after getting a mechanical engineering degree from Iowa State University. I like engineering, but after a few years of working in an office environment, I was feeling the urge to get…  Read More

MN State College Was Wrong to Suspend Sustainable Food Production Program

As a farmer, sociologist and instructor in the Sustainable Food Production (SFP) diploma program at Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Fergus Falls, I was stunned as I read in Agri-News on Feb. 5 about why the program was abruptly suspended: “ …’people will move on and start their own farms,’ ” said Mary…  Read More

INPUT NEEDED: Submit MDA Legislative Ideas by Aug. 16

What Would You Like to See the MDA Support During the 2025 Legislative Session?

Minnesota’s state agencies are in the midst of gathering information and setting their priorities for the 2025 legislative session. They are deciding how they should spend their dollars, what programs to continue, what policy changes are needed, and more. What do you need? Could you take five minutes to share your ideas with the Minnesota Department…  Read More