climate change

Ear to the Ground 299: Road to Resilience

Laura Lengnick believes that if farms are to survive (and thrive) in the age of climate change, we need to remember it’s not just about soil and water — it’s also about people. More Information • Resilient Agriculture: Cultivating Food Systems for a Changing Climate, by Laura Lengnick • SARE Publication: Cultivating Climate Resilience on Farms…  Read More

LSP Platform Calls for Farm Bill that Supports Farmers, Rural Communities & the Land

Platform & Survey Results Released on Northfield Area Farm Today

  NORTHFIELD, Minn. — The new federal Farm Bill must benefit farmers, rural communities and the land, rather than corporate interests, said farmer-leaders of the Land Stewardship Project (LSP) today during the release of the organization’s priorities for the nation’s most comprehensive agricultural policy initiative. LSP’s 2023 Farm Bill Platform, which was launched during an…  Read More

Cover Crop ROI & All That Matters

Crunching the Numbers Via Biological Bookkeeping

Note: Earlier this summer, Land Stewardship Project soil health organizer Alex Romano reached out to one of our soil health steering committee members, Mike Seifert, who farms near Jordan, Minn., with his wife, Dana, and father, Big Mike, to ask for his thoughts on “return on investment” from cover crops. She wanted to know his…  Read More

Let’s Get a Robust State Budget Across the Finish Line!

Contact Lawmakers & Join LSP at the Capitol May 21

The Minnesota legislative session ends in just six days and we need your help in ensuring a robust budget that invests in our farmers and communities makes it across the finish line. Check out the Land Stewardship Project’s latest blog for details on where our priorities stand. Here are two opportunities to take action: Join…  Read More

Only 13 Days Left to Invest in Farmers

Tell MN Lawmakers We Need Support for Soil Health, Regional Food Systems & Emerging Farmers

The Minnesota State Legislature only has 13 days left to take advantage of our historic state surplus — $9.25 billion — and invest in our farmers and communities at the scale that is needed to create vibrant resiliency on the land. There are big differences between what the House and Senate are willing to invest…  Read More

Urge the MN Senate to Pass a Robust Agriculture & Rural Development Budget Today

Today (March 30), the Minnesota Senate Agriculture & Rural Development Committee is finalizing its proposed budget — and its proposal falls short. While the Governor and the Minnesota House Climate Action Caucus have put out exciting proposals to build a resilient, regenerative farm and food system, the Senate is failing to include meaningful investments in…  Read More

Ear to the Ground 270: It Doesn’t Rain Grass

In an area that receives 8-10 inches of precipitation annually, Mexican rancher Alejandro Carrillo’s philosophy is: “It’s not how much rain you get, it’s what you do with it.” That’s why he makes sure that water falling out of the sky has a friendly reception on the ground. More Information • Understanding Ag case study…  Read More

Pass Drought Relief NOW

Minnesota House Ag Committee Passes Package; Senate Ag Committee Next

As you know, this past summer’s drought created one of the most difficult growing seasons that Minnesota has seen in decades. Farmers had to make incredibly hard decisions: ending CSA deliveries early or entirely, selling or processing livestock early to save costs, paying to dig deeper wells or new ones entirely, and investing in new…  Read More

The Crop Insurance Conundrum

More Evidence that a Safety Net has Morphed into a Web of Destruction

When one sees the word “unambiguously” used in a carefully researched academic paper, it’s time to take notice. For example,  a recent Journal of Policy Modeling study reports results that are “…unambiguously suggestive of a crop insurance policy regime that is biased in the direction of increasing consolidation in crop farming….” That conclusion is based on…  Read More

Tell Lawmakers We Need a MN Climate Budget for People & the Land

Proposal Would Support Soil Health Practices on Farms

A $1 billion proposal released by the Minnesota House Climate Action Caucus in January represents a meaningful investment in the health of our farms, soil, water, climate, and rural communities. The $1 billion proposal includes key priorities of LSP’s Soil Health and Climate Steering Committee, such as: $20 million for the Soil Health Cost-Share Program that…  Read More