The sign of a truly sustainable farming technique, indeed of a sustainable idea in general, is its staying power. Something might not catch on widely at first, especially if it goes against conventional wisdom. But if it’s just a tiny bit viable and enough innovators keep it alive, its time will eventually come. I was… Read More →
Dan Specht, who was taken from us all too soon last week by a haying accident, was the embodiment of the stewardship farmer. His kind, curious nature—housed in a powerfully-built, bear-like body—was complemented nicely by a passion for the land. And he represented what may be our best bet for balancing food production with a… Read More →
Steve O’Neil, the Land Stewardship Project’s first community organizer who went on to serve as a mentor and adviser to the organization for most of its history, lost a battle with cancer on Monday. He was 63. Steve was hired in 1982 by Ron Kroese shortly after Kroese and Victor Ray founded LSP. O’Neil’s first… Read More →
ORONOCO, Minn. — Southeastern Minnesota farmer Angela Smith had an important message for lawmakers when she traveled to the nation’s capital earlier this month: small and diversified farmers, as well as beginning farmers, need much better access to crop insurance in order to survive and thrive at a time of extreme climate change. Smith, who is… Read More →
The bill to reinstate public oversight of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has been moving through the Minnesota Legislature. In the Minnesota Senate, it passed out of the State and Local Government Committee and needs to be heard in the Environment, Climate, and Legacy Committee before becoming part of the larger Senate bill that… 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 →
Livestock producer Eric Klein of Hidden Stream Farm describes why and how his family launched its own meat processing business. It’s been a financial and logistical challenge, but a few years down the road it’s already producing benefits for their farm as well as the local community. If you’re thinking of getting into small-scale meat… Read More →
Bill to Offer Incentives to Reach ‘100% Soil Healthy Farming’ in MN by 2040 SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Calling it a “win-win” for agriculture and the environment, farmer-members of the Land Stewardship Project (LSP) applauded today’s scheduled hearing of the “100% Soil Healthy Farming Bill” in the Minnesota House Agriculture and Food Finance and Policy… Read More →
Farmers are on the front lines of the climate crisis — battling extreme weather and changing seasons while also building soil health to sequester carbon and manage water. In developing the Land Stewardship Project’s Soil Health and Climate Campaign, our members were clear: now is the time for landscape-scale transformation. That’s why we’ve crafted a… Read More →
The government of Minnesota belongs to the people of Minnesota — not outside corporate interests who want to write special laws for themselves at the expense of our communities and democracy. During the last three legislative sessions, the Land Stewardship Project and our allies in the Protect MN Voices Coalition successfully stopped efforts by outside… Read More →
