CAFO

LSP Applauds State Supreme Court’s Rejection of Daley Appeal

Ruling Comes After Yearslong Attempt to Circumvent Winona County’s Local Rules Related to CAFOs

March 19, 2025

LEWISTON, Minn. — The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) applauded the Minnesota Supreme Court’s recent decision to deny a Winona County factory farm owner’s attempt to circumvent Winona County’s rules governing the size of livestock operations. On March 18, Chief Justice Natalie Hudson announced that the Court would not hear an appeal filed by Daley Farm… Read More →

Category: News Releases

Tags: Big Ag • CAFO • Daley Farm • factory farm • local control • local democracy • nitrate pollution • Winona County

The Devil’s in the Details

Regenerative Ag Can Help Bring Our Dysfunctional Relationship with Phosphorus Back into Balance

By Brian DeVore

February 26, 2025

In the early 2000s, I wrote a series of Land Stewardship Letter articles about a generic environmental impact statement study that was done on Minnesota’s livestock industry. The final report had an interesting finding related to phosphorus, a key source of crop fertility: small livestock farms had a medium phosphorus shortage of 17 pounds per… Read More →

Category: Blog

Tags: CAFO • cover cropping • Dan Egan • Devil's Element • fertilizer • manure • methane digesters • Phosphorus • regenerative farming • water quality

LSP Applauds Appeals Court Ruling on Winona County CAFO

Ruling a Victory for Water Quality & Local Democracy

December 9, 2024

LEWISTON, Minn. — The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) applauded today’s ruling by the Minnesota Court of Appeals upholding a county’s right to limit the size of large animal feedlots operating within its borders. The ruling confirms an earlier state District Court’s decision that there was “no actual evidence of bias” when Winona County denied Daley… Read More →

Category: News Releases

Tags: CAFO • Daley Farm • factory farm • groundwater • local democracy • nitrate pollution • Winona County

LSP Media Statement on Latest Daley Farm Appeals Filing

May 23, 2024

LEWISTON, Minn. — The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) filed a legal brief May 22 with the Minnesota Court of Appeals contesting Daley Farm’s appeal of the state District Court’s decision to deny the operation’s attempt to circumvent Winona County’s rules related to the size of large livestock operations. Daley Farm is seeking a variance so that… Read More →

Category: News Releases

Tags: CAFO • Daley Farm • factory farm • local democracy • manure • nitrates • southeastern Minnesota • water quality

Tell Congress to Reject False Climate ‘Solutions’ & Factory Farm Funding in the Farm Bill

May 14, 2024

The USDA’s Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) are essential initiatives that give tens of thousands of farmers the tools they need to implement sustainable practices such as cover cropping and managed rotational grazing. Yet, a significant majority of farmers who apply to these programs are unable to access funding. In 2023, only… Read More →

Category: Action Alerts

Tags: CAFO • climate change • CSP • EQIP • factory farm • Farm Bill • federal ag policy • manure digesters • REAP

Ask Your MN Representative to Co-Author LSP’s Manure Management Reform Legislation

April 24, 2024

Over the past few decades, the dominant push in agriculture has been for farms to grow larger and for the industry to consolidate into a few hands to maximize profits. One of the many ways the biggest have been able to get bigger at the expense of small and mid-sized farmers, rural communities, and our… Read More →

Category: Action Alerts

Tags: CAFO • clean water • factory farm • livestock production • manure • Manure spills • Minnesota Legislature • nitrate pollution

LSP Media Statement on Amicus Filing by ‘Ag Groups’ in Daley Farm Court Case

January 10, 2024

LEWISTON, Minn. — On Jan. 4, five “agricultural groups” filed an amici curiae (friend of the court) motion with the Minnesota Court of Appeals in support of Daley Farm’s request that a recent District Court ruling be overturned, thus allowing the Lewiston dairy operation to circumvent Winona County’s zoning rules related to livestock operation size.… Read More →

Category: News Releases

Tags: CAFO • clean water • dairy crisis • Daley Farm • factory farm • local control • local democracy • SLAPP • Winona County

LSP Applauds Court’s Support of Winona County Decision on Factory Farm

LSP Launches ‘Story Center Powerline’ Initiative for Rural Residents Fighting Big Ag

November 21, 2023

LEWISTON, Minn. — Land Stewardship Project (LSP) members applauded today’s decision by the Minnesota District Court to deny Daley Farm’s latest attempt to circumvent Winona County’s rules related to the size of large livestock operations. (The Court’s decision is available here.) For the past four years, Daley Farm has sought a variance from the county’s… Read More →

Category: News Releases

Tags: CAFO • Daley Farm • factory farm • local democracy • Winona County

One Year after Major Winona County Fish Kill, Citizen Action Has Made an Impact

July 26, 2023

LEWISTON, Minn. — A lot of proverbial water has passed under the bridge in the 12 months since a major fish kill was discovered south of Lewiston: local residents banded together to learn more about the area’s vulnerable water resources; several groups teamed up to raise awareness of threats to streams, rivers and wells; and finally,… Read More →

Category: News Releases

Tags: CAFO • drinking water • factory farm • fish kill • groundwater • maure • Minnesota Legislature • nitrates • Rush Creek • water quality • Winona County

LSP Statement on Daley Farm Appeal of Winona County BOA Decision

January 5, 2022

LEWISTON, Minn. — On Jan. 3, Daley Farm of Lewiston, L.L.P, filed an appeal in Minnesota District Court challenging the Winona County Board of Adjustment’s decision in December denying the operation’s proposed expansion. This expansion would exceed the county’s animal unit cap by almost four times the current limit. Over the years, Daley Farm has repeatedly shown it has little respect… Read More →

Category: News Releases

Tags: Board of Adjustment • CAFO • Daley Farm • factory farm • karst geology • local democracy • Winona County

Upcoming Events

March 2025

Monday March 31

1:30 pm – 3:30 pm: MFU People's Town Hall
Monday March 31
1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
MFU People's Town Hall
People's Energy Cooperative, 1775 Lake Shady Ave S, Oronoco, MN 55960, USA
Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) is hosting a series of People’s TownHall events.

MFU wants to hear directly from family farmers and rural residents on howthe state and federal government can help meet their needs and build robustfarms and rural communities.

These events are open to the public; feel free to invite yourneighbor.

To reserve a spot, click here.Contact Claudine Arndt at 612-202-7872 or e-mail her at claudine@mfu.org with any questions.

April 2025

Wednesday April 2

1:30 pm – 3:30 pm: MFU People's Town Hall
Wednesday April 2
1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
MFU People's Town Hall
Hjemkomst Center, 202 1st Ave N, Moorhead, MN 56560, USA
Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) is hosting a series of People’s TownHall events.

MFU wants to hear directly from family farmers and rural residents on howthe state and federal government can help meet their needs and build robustfarms and rural communities.

These events are open to the public; feel free to invite yourneighbor.

To reserve a spot, click here.Contact Claudine Arndt at 612-202-7872 or e-mail her at claudine@mfu.orgwith any questions.

Thursday April 3

1:30 pm – 3:30 pm: MFU People's Town Hall
Thursday April 3
1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
MFU People's Town Hall
Far North Spirits, 2045 220th Avenue, Hallock, MN 56728, USA
Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) is hosting a series of People’s TownHall events.

MFU wants to hear directly from family farmers and rural residents on howthe state and federal government can help meet their needs and build robustfarms and rural communities.

These events are open to the public; feel free to invite yourneighbor.

To reserve a spot, click here.Contact Claudine Arndt at 612-202-7872 or e-mail her at claudine@mfu.orgwith any questions.
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm: LSP Montevideo Office Open House
Thursday April 3
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
LSP Montevideo Office Open House
111 N 1st St, Montevideo, MN 56265, USA
We will be holding an open house for members and community at the Land Stewardship Project’s new Montevideo location at 111 N. First Street. Snacks and beverages provided. We invite the public to join us in touring the new space and meeting the LSP staff members who are working in the western Minnesota region. For more information, call 320-269-2105.

Saturday April 5

9:30 am – 5:00 pm: EcoFaith Summit 2025: Earth's Cries, Earth's Call
Saturday April 5
9:30 am – 5:00 pm
EcoFaith Summit 2025: Earth's Cries, Earth's Call
First Lutheran Church, 1100 E Superior St, Duluth, MN 55802, USA
The EcoFaith Summit will feature compelling speakers, enlivening worship, informative exhibits, opportunities for networking, and an array of engagement sessions for giving birth to strong, creative action in our congregations, camps, campuses, and communities. Morning refreshments, fresh local lunch and celebratory final reception are included in the day.

Keynote speaker Dr. Cynthia Moe-Lobeda, author, organizer, and theological ethicist, will lead participants in naming the powers that are destroying the Earth and introducing them to midwives of hope today.

Special presenter: Dr. Kelly Sherman-Conroy, member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, dynamic storyteller, poet, scholar, and the the first Native woman to earn a PhD in theology within the ELCA, will offer a groundbreaking blend of Indigenous spirituality and Christian teachings.

This event is presented by: The Northeastern Minnesota Synod EcoFaith Network, Northwest Synod of Wisconsin, and Saint Paul Area Synod, along with partner organizations, synods, camps, colleges, and seminaries.

For details and to register, click here.

View Full Calendar

This event is presented by: The Northeastern Minnesota Synod EcoFaith Network, Northwest Synod of Wisconsin, and Saint Paul Area Synod, along with partner organizations, synods, camps, colleges, and seminaries.