Dairy farmers know better than anyone what it takes to keep a farm going through low prices, tight margins, long days, and decisions made far from the barn. Right now, Minnesota has a chance to speak up about what mega-dairies mean for family farms, rural communities, and the future of dairying in this state —… Read More →
MORRIS, Minn. — Any public policy related to creating a positive future for dairy farming must include strong provisions for controlling the rampant growth of mega-operations in the region while instituting market reforms, argues the Land Stewardship Project (LSP) in official comments submitted to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) today. From now until Oct.… Read More →
Sign Up for E-mail Delivery of The Land Line Stevens County OKs Permit for Expansion of Riverview’s West River Dairy (9/8/26) The West Central Tribune reports that the Stevens County Board of Commissioners has given the green light to what will be the largest dairy operation in Minnesota history. Highlights: Morris, Minn.-based Riverview is seeking… Read More →
On Tuesday, Sept. 1, Stevens County officials approved Riverview’s conditional use permit for the proposed West River Dairy expansion near Morris, Minn. This decision largely clears the way for what will become the largest concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) in Minnesota history. Once completed, this 18,855-cow facility will be more than 60 times the size… Read More →
MORRIS, Minn. — By giving the green light to what will be the largest concentrated animal feeding operation in Minnesota history, Stevens County officials have cast a vote for a type of livestock production that threatens water quality, puts small and medium-sized farmers out of business and empties rural Main Streets, said the Land Stewardship… Read More →
Sign Up for E-mail Delivery of The Land Line RANCH Act Introduced to Help Rebuild Cattle Herd (8/21/26) Beef Magazine reports that two U.S. Senators have introduced a bipartisan bill that has the goal of boosting the grazing of beef cattle on perennial grasses and forbs. Highlights: The “Rebuilding America’s National Cow Herd (RANCH) Act,”… Read More →
We wanted to share an important update from Stevens County, where Riverview LLP is seeking approval to expand its West River Dairy near Morris from 7,855 cows to 18,855 cows — a project that would make it the largest dairy facility and largest concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) in Minnesota. On Aug. 19, the Stevens… Read More →
On a recent July afternoon, southeastern Minnesota farmer Martin Larsen stopped his Gleaner R-62 combine in the middle of oat harvest, climbed down the ladder, and walked a hundred yards or so to where the Chair of the Minnesota Senate Agriculture Committee was standing at the edge of the field. Larsen then described to Sen.… Read More →
MORRIS, Minn. — The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) has joined Food & Water Watch in suing the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) over the state’s recent failure to order an environmental impact statement (EIS) for Riverview’s proposed West River Dairy expansion near Morris. If built, the 18,855-cow facility would be the largest factory farm in… Read More →
In June, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency failed Minnesotans when it refused to require a full environmental impact statement (EIS) for Riverview LLP’s massive West River Dairy expansion in Stevens County. That decision left Stevens County families, farmers, neighbors, and local officials to face the risks of an operation that would hold more than 26,000… Read More →
