We wanted to reach out to fill you in on what is going on at the Minnesota Legislature when it comes to the prioritization of emerging farmers in Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and Rural Finance Authority (RFA) programs. While we laid out the full context in this blog, here are the top five things… Read More →
During this session of the Minnesota Legislature, Land Stewardship Project members have been making their voices heard loud and clear. Dozens of farmers and rural LSP members have testified in committee hearings, hundreds have come to the Capitol to meet with their elected officials, and thousands have taken action by signing a petition, contacting their… Read More →
There are less than 20 days left in the 2022 session of the Minnesota Legislature, and with a $9.3 billion surplus, legislators have an historic opportunity to invest in our communities. Throughout the session, Land Stewardship Project members have been advocating for funding to increase access to local meat processing facilities and for helping farmers implement… Read More →
Amy has over 20 years of experience with LSP in both programmatic and management roles. As a Master’s Internationalist graduate student, Amy learned from Paraguayan farmers about effective farmer-to-farmer training and research. She brought this ground-up approach into developing and evaluating LSP programs, including Farm Beginnings, a farmer-led and community-based beginning farmer training model. As… Read More →
Beginning dairy farmer Carrie Redden talks about how she sees successful land stewardship and successful farming as deeply intertwined, and why more non-farmers need to make that connection as well. Carrie Redden was interviewed as part of the We Are Water initiative, which documented the stories of several farmers in the upper reaches of the… Read More →
LEWISTON, Minn. — As the farm financial crisis deepens in our rural communities, the Land Stewardship Project (LSP) and Izaak Walton League of Minnesota are partnering to offer an event called, “Farm Crisis Forum: Resiliency, Resources and Taking Action,” on Wednesday, Feb. 12, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at Immanuel Lutheran Church (45 W.… Read More →
One day in 2014, a man stopped by Bill and Bonnie McMillin’s farm tucked away in the hills of southeastern Minnesota’s Wabasha County and offered to pay cash for all 160 acres, lock, stock and barrel. Such an offer can be tempting. After all, Bill and Bonnie had worked hard over the previous few decades… Read More →
Dates for LSP’s Farm Dreams & Farm Beginnings Set MENOMONIE, Wis. — In coming weeks, beginning farmers have two exciting Land Stewardship Project (LSP) educational opportunities available to them in Menomonie. A four-hour “Farm Dreams” workshop will be held Sunday, August 25, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the Menomonie Market Food Co-op (814… Read More →
Farm Dreams Class July 29 in Minneapolis ROCHESTER, Minn. — One of the most innovative farmer training initiatives in the country will be offering classes in Rochester, beginning this fall. The early bird discount deadline for applying to the Land Stewardship Project’s 2018-2019 Farm Beginnings course is Wednesday, Aug. 1. A one-day “Farm Dreams” class… Read More →
Farmers possess a kind of ground-level common sense that seems increasingly rare in today’s fast-paced, technologically-driven world. Farmers develop this common sense from a real, experiential understanding of their land. Mike Krause is one farmer who not only understands the generations’ worth of knowledge behind his family farm, what the land has been through, and… Read More →
