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Searched for: regional food systems

The Roots in Wild Places

Having just come from working several seasons as an outdoor educator, I have had ample time to appreciate our wild places. In my previous position as an instructor leading canoe and dogsled trips in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, I was able to explore the interactions between humans and nature and marvel in the…  Read More

America’s Newest Disease

Last month, the American Medical Association (AMA), the largest association of physicians in the United States, officially recognized obesity as a disease. Previously, obesity was only recognized as a “condition,” defined as a range of weight that may have an adverse effect on health, reduce life expectancy and increase the likelihood of certain chronic diseases,…  Read More

Is That a Trophy Hunter Knockin’ on the Door?

What with farmland changing hands at price levels that would make a Beverly Hills realtor blanch, one could be forgiven for jumping to an obvious conclusion: Farm Country is flush with cash these days. Indeed, based on pure numbers, the statistics are impressive. Midwestern farmland values increased 16 percent in 2012, the third largest gain…  Read More

Why Restricting the Right to Vote is Bad for our Land, Farms & Rural Communities

Recently, the Land Stewardship Project joined “Our Vote, Our Future,” a coalition of over 70 organizations working to oppose the voter restriction amendment to the state constitution that is to be put before Minnesota voters Nov. 6. Why is an organization whose mission is stewardship of the land and our communities speaking out on this…  Read More

Farm Beginnings Profile: Kristianna Gehant & Nick Siddens

A Little Horse Sense

When a new food and farming model is introduced to a region, it can be slow to catch on—if at all. On the other hand, sometimes a new concept takes off like a galloping horse, challenging its practitioners to hang on for the ride. One Saturday last October, Kristianna Gehant and Nick Siddens were on…  Read More

MPCA Needs to Set the Right Precedent for this Unprecedented CAFO

Tell the MPCA by March 12 that Industrial-Scale Projects Need Industrial-Scale Review

Minnesota’s largest dairy producer has applied to build the first livestock operation in the state to hold over 20,000 animal units. If built, the concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) will hold 18,855 dairy cattle, bringing the total animal units to 26,397 in one facility. This proposed operation is the first of its size in Minnesota.…  Read More

Food Forum Agenda

2026 Western Minnesota Food Forum Monday, February 23, 2026 Oyate Hall, University of Minnesota-Morris in Morris, Minn. Farm to School Roadshow 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Note: The Farm to School Roadshow is optional and requires separate registration found here. Head to Morris early and join the Land Stewardship Project, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and the…

Western Minnesota Food Forum

The Land Stewardship Project is excited to gather again to build a vision for our region’s food system at the 2026 Western Minnesota Food Forum on Monday, Feb. 23, in Morris, Minn. The Western Minnesota Food Forum brings together local food advocates to listen, learn, and coordinate around local food market opportunities in western Minnesota.…