One of the most anti-environmental pieces of legislation to come out of the Minnesota Capitol in several years became law on Saturday, June 13. The Agriculture and Environment Omnibus Budget Bill was supposed to provide funding for numerous initiatives of importance to rural Minnesotans. However, as the session wound down, several policy provisions were plugged… Read More →
When we talk to our friends and neighbors who are on Medicare, they are happy with it and sure don’t want to give it up. The same is said by veterans who use Veteran’s Administration healthcare. Social Security is another popular government run program. We need to build on this success. During an “Addressing the… Read More →
How to improve our health insurance system is an urgent matter for nearly everyone in Minnesota. It’s a top issue for farmers across Minnesota, and one of the most frequent concerns heard by clergy. For months, policymakers in St. Paul worked on details for how to provide immediate assistance to people who buy health insurance… 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 →
Cover crops proved themselves foul weather friends during the Great Drought of 2012. A groundbreaking farmer survey conducted in the Upper Mississippi River watershed showed that during that year’s brutal growing season keeping the soil covered with small grains and other plants helped fields preserve enough precious moisture to provide a yield bump of, in… Read More →
Opportunity Knocks for Oats in Minnesota (1/28/26) Morning Ag Clips reports that interest in returning oats to Minnesota crop rotations is increasing as a result of a new processing facility being built and research related to the soil health benefits of planting the small grain. Highlights: A new, $68 million food-grade oat mill is expected… Read More →
But A Divided Legislature Produced No Real Bold Steps Forward The Land Stewardship Project organizes for healthcare for all because we believe high-quality care is a basic need and something every person deserves, and because our current healthcare system that prioritizes corporate profits above all else is a major barrier to having thriving rural communities… Read More →
Local Control & Environmental Review Stay Strong Despite Attacks; Some Gains for Sustainable Ag Research & Beginning Farmer Land Access The 2017 session of the Minnesota Legislature was highlighted by a tough fight over corporate agriculture’s push to make it easier for factory farms to force their way into communities. Corporate ag and its supporters… Read More →
SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Guaranteeing a brighter future for rural Minnesota is about creating the opportunity for farmers and nonfarmers to make choices, Pine County livestock producer Hannah Bernhardt told over 150 Land Stewardship Project (LSP) members and allies gathered at Christ Lutheran Church on Capitol Hill in Saint Paul on March 11. The event… Read More →
It’s field day time on this western Minnesota farm, and it’s made clear from the outset that there will no main presenter, no expert from on-high telling it like it is or isn’t, no PowerPoints produced by consultants. This is a field day where farmers learn from other farmers. “You are all consultants,” Richard Ness… Read More →
