local food systems

2023 Minnesota Legislative Session Wrap-Up

Historic Wins for Sustainable & Regenerative Ag, Small & Mid-sized Farmers & Rural Communities

By Laura Schreiber & Amanda Koehler

May 25, 2023

During the recently concluded session of the Minnesota Legislature, Land Stewardship Project members and partners worked to win record investments in sustainable and regenerative agriculture, small and mid-sized farmers, and rural communities after decades of underfunding. We won a MinnesotaCare Public Option, as well as historic investments in the Emerging Farmers Office at the Minnesota… Read More →

Category: Blog

Add Your Name to the Farmer & Producer Sign-On Letter

March 28, 2023

This week, the House and Senate Agriculture Committees in the Minnesota Legislature are rolling out their budgets for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Both the House and Senate have included important items, such as funding for the Emerging Farmers Office and establishing a Meat and Poultry Liaison position in the Department of Agriculture, as well… Read More →

Category: Action Alerts

Tags: 100% Soil Healthy Campaign • agriculture budget • Family Farm Breakfast • local food systems • local meat processing • Minnesota Legislature

Legislative Update: Fair Farm Economy, Resilient Climate, Soil Health, Land Access & Regional Food on the Table

LSP is Championing 15 Bills (So Far)

By Amanda Koehler & Laura Schreiber

February 10, 2023

This past fall, hundreds of Land Stewardship Project members from across Minnesota came together to build a holistic, state policy campaign — the “Minnesota Food and Farm Campaign.” Now, as the 2023 session of the Minnesota Legislature hits its stride, we’re translating our agenda into legislation. LSP is championing 15 bills (so far) to build… Read More →

Category: Blog

Tags: 100% Soil Healthy Campaign • COOL • factory farms • Family Farm Breakfast • farm-to-school • fish kills • healthcare • local food systems • local meat processing • Minnesota Legislature • MPCA Citizens' Board • soil health • water

Ear to the Ground 284: Hive of Healthy Activity

From Kris Shelstad’s point of view, an empty building on Main Street is packed full of opportunities for revitalizing her hometown’s economic and cultural life, one conversation at a time. More Information: • Madison Mercantile • LSP’s Regional Food Systems Web Page • Support Local Food During the Upper Minnesota River Meander Sept. 30-Oct. 2… Read More →

Ear to the Ground 283: Ending the Extractive Economy

Ken Meter draws on decades of community analyses to explain why agriculture will never be truly regenerative until we fix our dysfunctional food system. More Information: • LSP Community Food Webs Learning Circles (March 2023) • Building Community Food Webs, by Ken Meter • Crossroads Resource Center • LSP Community-Based Food Systems Web Page •… Read More →

Ear to the Ground 282: Kitchen Table Economics

LSP’s Amy Bacigalupo talks about why the organization is diving deep into helping communities build food systems that can stem the tide of commodities (and wealth) leaving the land. More Information: • LSP’s Regional Food Systems Web Page • Ear to the Ground No. 283: Ken Meter draws on decades of community analyses to explain why… Read More →

Only 13 Days Left to Invest in Farmers

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

May 10, 2022

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 →

Category: Action Alerts

Tags: 100% Soil Healthy Campaign • climate change • emerging farmers • farmers' markets • local food systems • local meat processing • Minnesota Legislature • regional foods • soil health

Legislative Session Heads into its Final Days

Wide Gap Between House & Senate Budget Proposals for Soil Health, Processing Support, Drought Relief

By Laura Schreiber

May 4, 2022

There are less than 20 days left in the 2022 session of the Minnesota Legislature, and with a $9.3 billion surplus, legislators have an historic opportunity to invest in our communities. Throughout the session, Land Stewardship Project members have been advocating for funding to increase access to local meat processing facilities and for helping farmers implement… Read More →

Category: Blog

Tags: 100% Soil Healthy Campaign • beginning farmers • climate • drought relief • environmental review • Forever Green • local food systems • local meat processing • Minnesota Legislature • soil health

Soil Health & Racial Justice — What?!

Farmers Seeking to Create a Just, De-centralized, Diverse Food & Farming System Talk Economic & Racial Justice

By Barbara Sogn-Frank

April 5, 2022

The Questions… What does soil health have to do with racial justice? Why does the Land Stewardship Project write articles and posts about racial justice for mostly homogenous, white audiences in rural, farming communities? From time to time, LSP soil health organizers are asked these questions by farmers at our field days and workshops. Some… Read More →

Category: Blog

Tags: agriculture policy • economic justice • local food systems • racial justice • regional food systems • soil health • state policy

Ear to the Ground No. 253: The Power of Local Meat Processing

Livestock producer Eric Klein of Hidden Stream Farm describes why and how his family launched its own meat processing business. It’s been a financial and logistical challenge, but a few years down the road it’s already producing benefits for their farm as well as the local community. If you’re thinking of getting into small-scale meat… Read More →

Upcoming Events

June 2023

Tuesday June 6

11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Forever Green Winter Barley Webinar
Tuesday June 6
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Forever Green Winter Barley Webinar
The Environmental & Economic Clusters of Opportunity (EECO) grant provides an ecosystem services payment as well as risk management payments to growers enrolled in the program for winter barley, hybrid winter rye, winter camelina, and Kernza. Join us for an introductory webinar series on these four crops where we pair University researchers and Extension professionals with farmers who have trialed these crops on-farm. The webinar on June 6 will be on winter barley and will feature Jochum Wiersma (UMN Extension small grains agronomist) and Kurt Kimber (farmer, Hampton, Minn.).

To sign-up for the June 6 webinar on winter barley, click here. These presentations will be recorded for future viewing if you’re not able to make it.

Wednesday June 7

11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Forever Green Webinar on Winter Camelina
Wednesday June 7
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Forever Green Webinar on Winter Camelina
The Environmental & Economic Clusters of Opportunity (EECO) grant provides an ecosystem services payment as well as risk management payments to growers enrolled in the program for winter barley, hybrid winter rye, winter camelina, and Kernza. Join us for an introductory webinar series on these four crops where we pair University researchers and Extension professionals with farmers who have trialed these crops on-farm. On June 7, there will be a webinar on winter camelina. Presenters include Matthew Ott (UMN post doc researcher, camelina genetics) and Anne Schwagerl (farmer, Browns Valley, Minn.).

To sign-up for the June 7 webinar on winter camelina, click here. These presentations will be recorded for future viewing if you’re not able to make it.
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm: Local Foods Planning Session June 7 in Madison
Wednesday June 7
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Local Foods Planning Session June 7 in Madison
The Madison Mercantile Local Food Planning Group will be meetingWednesday, June 7, from 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.,at the Madison Mercantile. We will be brainstorming plans for creating a local food infrastructure at the Mercantile, as well as sharing local food opportunities through theReal Food Hub in WillmarandBecker Market.

Madison Mercantile Local Food Planning Group

Wednesday, June 7th @ 6 PM

Madison Mercantile

601 1st St., Madison, MN

Tuesday June 13

11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Forever Green Webinar on Kernza
Tuesday June 13
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Forever Green Webinar on Kernza
The Environmental & Economic Clusters of Opportunity (EECO) grant provides an ecosystem services payment as well as risk management payments to growers enrolled in the program for winter barley, hybrid winter rye, winter camelina, and Kernza. Join us for an introductory webinar series on these four crops where we pair University researchers and Extension professionals with farmers who have trialed these crops on-farm. The June 13 webinar on Kernza features Jake Jungers (UMN assistant professor), Prabin Bajgain (UMN assistant professor) and Jay Peterson (farmer, Blooming Prairie, Minn.)

To sign up for the June 13 webinar on Kernza, click here. These presentations will be recorded for future viewing if you’re not able to make it.
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm: Upper Sioux State Park Land Return Listening Sessions & Planning Forward
Tuesday June 13
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Upper Sioux State Park Land Return Listening Sessions & Planning Forward
On April 5,there was a historic town hall meeting in Granite Falls where regional residents and Upper Sioux Community members came together to learn about the Upper Sioux Community’s history, relationship, and desires for the return of the Upper Sioux Agency State Park to the Upper Sioux Community. We also were able to ask questions of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources representatives and local elected officials, as well other community members. A proposal to return the state park land to the Upper Sioux Community was officially passed by the Minnesota Legislature during its recently concluded session.

We were encouraged by how we saw our neighbors respond to this proposal, being for the most part supportive of the return.We also heard how important and precious access to green spaces is to all of us who live here, and that many of us have deep connections and relationships with that park.

Please come and share your stories of connection and relationship to the Upper Sioux Agency State Park; we want to understand and honor our connection to this place and channelour passion for the area. We want to think as a community where we might be able to create new public access acres in the river valley with the funds allocated for replacement.Let’s beready and united to advocate locally for these green acres!

Join us on Tuesday, June 13, and/or Wednesday, June 28, at the Granite Falls Kilowatt Community Center (600 Kilowatt Drive, Granite Falls, MN 5624), from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., for a light meal, and to share our stories and link arms to create new parkland in western Minnesota.

This event is free and open to the public, but food can only be guaranteed for those who register in advance. Please clickhere to register for June 13and/orhere to register for June 28.

Please contact Robin Moore atrmoore@landstewardshipproject.orgor 320-321-5244 if you have any questions.

This event is organized and hosted in partnership with The YES! House with Department of Public Transformation.

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