local democracy

Land Line: Riverview, Suppressing Speech? Groundwater, Archived Nitrogen, Unsafe Lettuce, Saving Ag From Itself, Wendell Berry, Jostocks’ Risk Reduction

By Brian DeVore (editor)
September 11, 2026

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 →

Category: Blog
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It’s Not Over Until It’s Over — A Riverview Update

Riverview expected a rubber stamp. Our community won invaluable time.

August 7, 2026

On Monday, Aug. 3, Land Stewardship Project members and local residents gathered at the Stevens County Planning and Zoning public meeting — and because our community showed up, spoke out, and organized together, we won an important step forward. Riverview demonstrated a very organized corporate approach. But our community met that pressure with real people…  Read More →

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When Industrial Dairy Comes to Town, Rural Communities are Fighting Back

Tri-state coalition webinar shows how industrial dairy expansion is not a “done deal” when rural communities get organized. 

By Heather Benson
June 10, 2026

Across South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota, rural residents are facing a growing wave of industrial dairy proposals that could reshape their communities for decades. On June 3, a coalition of organizations hosted “Community Responses to Industrial Dairy Proposals in SD, ND, and MN,” a webinar where community members and advocates shared what they are seeing on…  Read More →

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Is it Your Turn to Run for Local Office?

The Filing Deadline for Upcoming Local Elections is June 2

By Lizzy Haywood & Dawn Schreiber
May 20, 2026

For most people, getting elected to a local office doesn’t sound very glamorous, but local officials hold a surprising amount of sway. Minnesota is a state where local control laws are strong, which means that people serving in county and township government play a critical role in shaping the state we need. When it comes…  Read More →

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Wading into Hostile Waters

This Week's MPCA Meeting on Riverview Highlights the Importance of Being Allowed to Ask Authentic Questions

By Brian DeVore
May 1, 2026

When debating a controversial topic in public, a well-proven trick is to never ask a question you don’t already have the answer to. That technique was on full display Tuesday evening in a packed-to-the-gills meeting held at Old No. 1 Bar & Grill in Morris, Minn. The topic at hand was a proposal by Riverview…  Read More →

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Local Democracy Challenge Launched by LSP in MN

Initiative Aims to Increase Citizen Engagement with Local Officials & Processes in Non-election Years

October 1, 2025

MONTEVIDEO, Minn. — The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) today launched an initiative in Minnesota communities aimed at increasing citizen engagement in the local democratic process. The Local Democracy Challenge, which runs through Nov. 26, outlines six areas of direct action that citizens can take in a non-general election year. The public is invited to participate…  Read More →

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Ear to the Ground 383: Corporate Vs. Community

Sonja Trom Eayrs started out writing about her own family’s fight against factory farms. She ended up telling a larger story of corporate capture of rural communities (1 of 2 parts). More Information • Sonja Trom Eayrs’s website  • View video of Nov. 4, 2025, LSP Event Featuring Sonja Trom Eayrs & Austin Frerick: “Big…  Read More →

Ear to the Ground 382: No Offseason

LSP’s Local Democracy Challenge is a reminder that we can’t allow democracy to grow dormant between elections. More Information • LSP’s Local Democracy Challenge Web Page • Land Stewardship Action • Ear to the Ground Podcast 341 Featuring Land Stewardship Action You can find LSP Ear to the Ground podcast episodes on Spotify, Pandora, iTunes, YouTube,…  Read More →

U.S. Supreme Court’s Decline of Iowa Case Bolsters Local Control

SCOTUS Action a Good Indicator That These Kinds of Laws Work

By Matthew Sheets
July 2, 2025

On July 1, the United States Supreme Court delivered a win for local control and a blow to Big Ag when it declined to hear the Iowa Pork Producers Association’s case against a California law that mandates the amount of space livestock animals, in particular hogs, have while being raised. The Iowa Capitol Dispatch explains…  Read More →

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Alan Perish’s Passion for Local Democracy

 'If you can’t control things locally, somebody else is going to control them for you...'

By Brian DeVore
May 19, 2025

When Alan Perish passed away May 14, we lost a stalwart advocate for  family farming and local democracy. Alan, a fourth-generation farmer, milked cows in central Minnesota’s Todd County for many years and he was a longtime Land Stewardship Project and Minnesota Farmers Union member. Over the years, I had several opportunities to talk with…  Read More →

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