In Boone County, Iowa, fertile farmland stretches as far as the eye can see. But as our van of Land Stewardship Project members rounded the corner on a rural road, we saw a disturbing sight: miles of black, vacant land where the landscape has been shaved to make way for the Dakota Access Pipeline. On… Read More →
An Indiana initiative has made the state a national leader in getting continuous living cover established on crop acres. Can it change the way farmers view soil? Michael Werling is, literally, a card-carrying connoisseur of soil health. “I call it, ‘My ticket to a farm tour,’ ” says the northeastern Indiana crop producer, showing off… Read More →
MONTEVIDEO, Minn. — The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) has been awarded a $305,000 Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) grant by the USDA to support building a resilient and community-led local food system in west central Minnesota. The new funding will be used to: Increase local farmer income through sales to local wholesale buyers, including schools… Read More →
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 →
LEWISTON, Minn. — A work plan submitted by Minnesota state agencies to address nitrate pollution in southeastern Minnesota does not address the root cause of the problem and instead relies on pre-existing programs that have shown little evidence of success thus far, said members of the Land Stewardship Project (LSP). “We know that we can… Read More →
Oct. 9: An LSP Round-up of News Covering Land, People & Communities Minnesota Department of Transportation rethinks no-spray ditch program after yanking signs (10/9/20) The Minnesota Department of Transportation is reevaluating its decision to pull “Do Not Spray” signs without warning in southeastern Minnesota, according to the Star Tribune. Farmers, including LSP members, had complained… Read More →
Over 500 Public Comments in Opposition to Expansion Submitted to MPCA LEWISTON, Minn. — A proposed expansion of a southeastern Minnesota mega-dairy, already one of the largest in the state, is drawing demands for an in-depth environmental review from farmers and local residents. The proposed expansion to Daley Farms of Lewiston, LLP’s dairy would add… Read More →
Public comments submitted as part of the environmental review process for two proposed frac sand mines in Winona County overwhelmingly call for officials there to follow the law and order an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Land Stewardship Project members, other local citizens, state agencies and scientific experts submitted a total of about 75 comments on… Read More →
NORTHFIELD, Minn. — Details on how to apply for the newly launched Minnesota Beginning Farmer Tax Credit will be the focus of a Land Stewardship Project workshop on Monday, Jan. 22, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at First United Church of Christ, 300 Union St., in Northfield. Dessert and coffee will be served. There… Read More →
On an afternoon in late June, west-central Minnesota farmers Anne and Peter Schwagerl walk out of the bright sun into the deep shade of an old granary that has six separate storage areas for various kinds of harvested crops—a throwback to an era when most Midwestern farms produced more than corn and soybeans. On many… Read More →
