groundwater

Land Line: CAFO Control, Cancer in Farm Country, Nitrates, Soil Health, Farm to School

March 19: An LSP Round-up of News Covering Land, People & Communities

By Brian DeVore

March 19, 2025

Something Smells With the Feedlot Trend, and it’s More Than Just the Manure 3/16/25 Ron Way, former assistant director of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, writes in the Star Tribune about how factory farms have transformed the landscape in southern and central Minnesota. Highlights: Since the 1970s, backers of large-scale, industrialized livestock production have successfully… Read More →

Category: Blog

Tags: CAFOs • cancer • groundwater • local democracy • nitrates • Olmsted County Groundwater Protection and Soil Health Program • pesticides • soil health

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

Nitrate’s Season of Reckoning

Ag Pollution in Karst Country Offers a Critical Opportunity for Soil-Friendly Farming

By Brian DeVore

January 20, 2024

For residents of southeastern Minnesota, the past few months must seem like “The Season of the Nitrate.” It turns out nitrogen, that critical source of crop fertility, is quite adept at escaping our farm fields, and, in the form of nitrate, polluting groundwater. So much so that scientists, government officials, and physicians now recognize it… Read More →

Category: Blog

Tags: cover crops • EPA • groundwater • karst • managed rotational grazing • MDA • MDH • MPCA • nitrates • Olmsted County Groundwater Protection and Soil Health Program • Olmsted County SWCD • soil health • water quality

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

‘Farming in Karst Country’ Workshop July 6 at Niagara Cave in Harmony

Discussion to Focus on how Soil Healthy Practices can Improve the Health of Underground Streams

June 16, 2022

HARMONY, Minn. — The intersection of soil-building farming practices, water movement and karst geology will be the focus of a special Land Stewardship Project (LSP) “Farming in Karst Country” workshop Wednesday, July 6, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Niagara Cave in Harmony (29842 Co. Hwy. 30). The cost to attend is $20 for adults… Read More →

Category: News Releases

Tags: cover cropping • Driftless Region • groundwater • karst geology • Martin Larsen • Niagara Cave • no-till • soil health

Upcoming Events

April 2025

Wednesday April 30

5:30 pm – 7:00 pm: May Day Teach-In: Minneapolis, Minn.
Wednesday April 30
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
May Day Teach-In: Minneapolis, Minn.
Centro de Trabajadores Primero de Mayo, 3521 E Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55406, USA
Join the Land Stewardship Project and the Immigrant Defense Network for a powerful teach-in to learn about the origins of International Workers’ Day, the 1886 Chicago protests, and how the struggle continues today for immigrant workers across Minnesota. Then, take action with us to change the narrative!

• We’ll assemble May Day Worker Defense baskets filled with resources, reports, and tools for worker protection.

• Gain talking points to explain why immigrants are essential to industries like agriculture, food processing, and other sectors.

• Together, we’ll encourage employers and companies to acknowledge the real impact of enforcement actions and take steps to protect our community.

Confirmed teach-in events:

• Minneapolis May Day Teach-In
Wednesday, April 30
5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Centro de Trabajadores Primero de Mayo
3521 E. Lake St. Minneapolis, MN 55406
Dinner provided

• Rochester May Day Teach-In
Wednesday, April 30
6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
1210 ½ 7th St. NW, Rochester, MN 55901
Dinner provided

• Mankato May Day Teach-In
Thursday, May 1
9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Shared Spaces
127 S. 2nd St. #100 Mankato, MN 56001
Breakfast provided

For more information, contact LSP’s Nick Olson at nicko@landstewardshipproject.org.
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm: May Day Teach-In: Rochester, Minn.
Wednesday April 30
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
May Day Teach-In: Rochester, Minn.
2 7th St NW, Rochester, MN 55901, USA

Join the Land Stewardship Project and the Immigrant Defense Network for a powerful teach-in to learn about the origins of International Workers’ Day, the 1886 Chicago protests, and how the struggle continues today for immigrant workers across Minnesota. Then, take action with us to change the narrative!

• We’ll assemble May Day Worker Defense baskets filled with resources, reports, and tools for worker protection.

• Gain talking points to explain why immigrants are essential to industries like agriculture, food processing, and other sectors.

• Together, we’ll encourage employers and companies to acknowledge the real impact of enforcement actions and take steps to protect our community.

Confirmed teach-in events:

• Minneapolis May Day Teach-In
Wednesday, April 30
5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Centro de Trabajadores Primero de Mayo
3521 E. Lake St. Minneapolis, MN 55406
Dinner provided

• Rochester May Day Teach-In
Wednesday, April 30
6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
1210 ½ 7th St. NW, Rochester, MN 55901
Dinner provided

• Mankato May Day Teach-In
Thursday, May 1
9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Shared Spaces
127 S. 2nd St. #100 Mankato, MN 56001
Breakfast provided

For more information, contact LSP’s Nick Olson at nicko@landstewardshipproject.org.

May 2025

Thursday May 1

9:00 am – 10:00 am: May Day Teach-In: Mankato, Minn.
Thursday May 1
9:00 am – 10:00 am
May Day Teach-In: Mankato, Minn.
Shared Spaces, 127 S 2nd St, Mankato, MN 56001, USA

Join the Land Stewardship Project and the Immigrant Defense Network for a powerful teach-in to learn about the origins of International Workers’ Day, the 1886 Chicago protests, and how the struggle continues today for immigrant workers across Minnesota. Then, take action with us to change the narrative!

• We’ll assemble May Day Worker Defense baskets filled with resources, reports, and tools for worker protection.

• Gain talking points to explain why immigrants are essential to industries like agriculture, food processing, and other sectors.

• Together, we’ll encourage employers and companies to acknowledge the real impact of enforcement actions and take steps to protect our community.

Confirmed teach-in events:

• Minneapolis May Day Teach-In
Wednesday, April 30
5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Centro de Trabajadores Primero de Mayo
3521 E. Lake St. Minneapolis, MN 55406
Dinner provided

• Rochester May Day Teach-In
Wednesday, April 30
6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
1210 ½ 7th St. NW, Rochester, MN 55901
Dinner provided

• Mankato May Day Teach-In
Thursday, May 1
9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Shared Spaces
127 S. 2nd St. #100 Mankato, MN 56001
Breakfast provided

For more information, contact LSP’s Nick Olson at nicko@landstewardshipproject.org.

Thursday May 29

9:00 am – 12:30 pm: Storytelling for Sales: Digital Marketing for Sustainable Farmers
Thursday May 29
9:00 am – 12:30 pm
Storytelling for Sales: Digital Marketing for Sustainable Farmers
Zoom Online
Storytelling for Sales: Digital Marketing Best Practices to Get Your Farm’s Next Customer is designed to help farmers grow their customer base by sharpening their storytelling and digital marketing skills—whether they’re selling through farmers’ markets, CSAs, or direct-to-retail. This Greener Pastures and Meet the Minnesota Makers workshop will cover how websites and social media can actually convert viewers into buyers to creating content that builds community loyalty.

This workshop is also designed for ag educators, professionals, and partner organizational staff who support farmers directly and want to be well-versed on the marketing best practices to support direct-to-consumer farms.

For details and to register, click here.

June 2025

Saturday June 28

4:00 pm – 8:00 pm: LSP's Boots & Roots: A Celebration of Land & People
Saturday June 28
4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
LSP's Boots & Roots: A Celebration of Land & People
Dream Acres, Co Hwy 8, Spring Valley, MN 55975, USA
Join Land Stewardship Project members and supporters to kick-start the Driftless summer with an evening of good food, good music, and good times. We’ll have activities for all ages that will get you out in nature, exploring the connection between our region’s farms and your community’s food, land, and water. Bring a side or dessert to share for dinner, and the Dream Acres wood-fired oven will provide locally-sourced pizzas and flat breads. Dinner will be followed by live music and contra dancing by the Crater City String Band.

To reserve a spot, click here.

Camping sites are available at nearby Masonic Park and Forestville Mystery Cave and Lake Louise State Parks. Camping at Masonic is rustic,first-come-first-serve, free, and does not require a reservation. Fillmore County, who manages the park, only asks that you call the dispatchers at507-765-3874 when you arrive with your vehicle information and phone number in case of emergency. State Park reservations cost $25 a night and can be made online.

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