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Searched for: regional food system

Jeepers Cats That’s Some Healthy Soil!

Turning a Massive Problem into Soil Fertility & Economic Value

I recently witnessed the return of life to Jordan and Rachelle Meyers’ fields, which are transitioning from giant ragweed and thistles into soil-building plants such as chicory, red clover, and wild bergamot. During the past few years, the family, which farms in southeastern Minnesota’s Houston County, has used hard work and attention to the soil…  Read More

Fake Meat Saves the Planet? Think Again

The promoters of “meat” that does not come from living, breathing animals go to great lengths to differentiate their products from the “veggie burgers” that started popping up in the grocery aisle decades ago. The fake meat industry’s target customer is not the vegetarian or vegan. These products — also called “alt-meat,” “cultured meat,” or…  Read More

Farm Crisis Exacerbated by Covid-19: Urgent Action Needed

As people across Minnesota and around the world face a global health pandemic, the reality of the farm crisis grows starker and more urgent. Small- to mid-sized farmers who strengthen our rural economies and act as stewards of the land and water face greater uncertainty in the production and distribution of the food we depend…  Read More

Forever Green: Relaying Resiliency

To Matthew Ott, three words could make all the difference as to whether farming systems that protect the soil year-round in Minnesota become a consistent agricultural presence in the state. “For me, the most exciting thing is to be able to use the term, ‘cash cover crops,’ ” says the University of Minnesota graduate student.…  Read More

LSP Mourns the Loss of Farmer-Leader Dan Specht

The Land Stewardship Project, sustainable agriculture and family farming lost a true friend this week when Dan Specht was killed in a tragic farm accident. He was 63. (See obituary here.) Dan, who farmed above the banks of the Mississippi River near McGregor, in northeast Iowa, had been a pioneer in innovative, sustainable farming methods…  Read More

LSP Applauds USDA’s Step to Promote Transparency & Address Exploitative Poultry Contracting System

New Rule a Needed Move Toward Reform of Abusive Livestock Processing & Marketing Infrastructure

SAINT PAUL, Minn. — The USDA’s proposal Thursday to address the highly controversial “tournament system” in poultry production is a positive, yet overdue, step forward as the agency seeks to address unfair competition and trade practices under the Packers and Stockyards Act, according to members of the Minnesota-based Land Stewardship Project (LSP). “Corporate ag has monopolized…  Read More

A Physician’s View: We Must Have Legislators Supporting True Healthcare Reform

It is time to acknowledge that the private, profit-making “nonprofit” corporate model is failing nearly all of us. Healthcare is a crisis for most people across the U.S., particularly in our rural areas. People delay going to the doctor because of $7,000 to $13,000 deductibles. Local newspapers announce benefit events to finance a child’s expensive…  Read More