Minnesota Legislature

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

Take Action to Stop Efforts to Weaken Environmental Review!

April 14, 2022

Corporate interests and their buddies in the Minnesota Senate are pushing to weaken public participation in the environmental review process of industrial projects — and we need to stop them. When the law does not require the environmental review of a proposed industrial project, the public has the right to petition for it. However, if… Read More →

Category: Action Alerts

Tags: EAW • factory farms • frac sand mining • local control • local democracy • local government • Minnesota Legislature

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

April 7, 2022

Minnesota House and Minnesota Senate committees are finalizing their separate budget proposals this week — and the differences are stark. The House Majority proposed investing over $97 million into building a resilient, multi-generational, multi-racial farm and food system, which is just about 1% of the state’s historic surplus. The Senate Majority, however, proposed investing just… Read More →

Category: Action Alerts

Tags: Minnesota Legislature

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

March 30, 2022

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 →

Category: Action Alerts

Tags: climate change • continuous living cover • direct maketing • Forever Green • meat processing • Minnesota Legislature • regional food systems • soil health

Gov. Walz Declares March 11 Land Stewardship Project Day

LSP Marks 40th Year of ‘Keeping the Land & People Together’ in 2022

March 11, 2022

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — As a Minnesota-based family farm and regenerative agriculture organization marks its 40th year of “keeping the land and people together,” Governor Tim Walz has declared March 11, 2022, “Land Stewardship Project Day.” Walz made the declaration today while participating in a Land Stewardship Project (LSP) virtual town hall with over 200 members of the… Read More →

Category: News Releases

Tags: 40th anniversary • Gov. Tim Walz • Land Stewardship Project • meat processing • Minnesota Legislature • soil health

Support Small Meat Processor Training Grants in MN

Contact Your Legislators Today

March 7, 2022

Over the past two years, we have witnessed firsthand just how fragile our meat processing sector is. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerability of global, concentrated supply chains, and we have seen farmers euthanize animals while others are forced to book processing dates even before animals are born. What has become clear is that we… Read More →

Category: Action Alerts

Tags: local meat processing • meat processing • Minnesota Legislature • state policy

Pass Drought Relief NOW

Minnesota House Ag Committee Passes Package; Senate Ag Committee Next

February 14, 2022

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 →

Category: Action Alerts

Tags: climate change • drought • drought relief • extreme weather • Minnesota Legislature

Invest in a Resilient, Regenerative Farm & Food System this Legislative Session

Jan. 31 is the First Day of the 2022 Minnesota Legislative Session

January 28, 2022

Monday, Jan. 31, is the first day of the 2022 Minnesota legislative session — and we have an incredible opportunity to win millions of dollars for soil health, local processing, local markets, emerging farmers, and more. In the past two weeks, Governor Tim Walz and the Minnesota House Climate Climate Action Caucus have put together exciting… Read More →

Category: Action Alerts

Tags: Forever Green • House Climate Caucus • local meat processing • Minnesota Legislature • regional food systems • soil health • state policy • SWCD

Minnesota Farm Groups Applaud Governor’s Proposed Ag, Board of Water & Soil Resources Budgets

Proposal Would Invest Tens of Millions of Dollars into Building Resiliency in Farm & Food System, Climate, Economy

January 27, 2022

SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Three Minnesota farm groups are applauding Governor Tim Walz’s budget proposals for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Board of Water and Soil Resources, which were released this week. The proposals strongly align with the vision for a thriving, abundant, and resilient countryside shared by the Land Stewardship Project (LSP), Hmong… Read More →

Category: News Releases

Tags: BWSR • Gov. Tim Walz • Hmong American Farmers Association • local meat processing • Minnesota Department of Agriculture • Minnesota Farmers' Market Association • Minnesota Legislature • regional food systems • soil health • SWCD

Upcoming Events

January 2025

Friday January 10 – Saturday January 11

Practical Farmers of Iowa Annual Conference

Friday January 10 – Saturday January 11

Practical Farmers of Iowa Annual Conference

833 5th Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309, USA

For more information, click here.

Tuesday January 21 – Thursday January 23

MN Young & Emerging Farmers Workshop

Tuesday January 21 – Thursday January 23

MN Young & Emerging Farmers Workshop

Mankato

A short application process will be required to be accepted into the Minnesota Young and Emerging Farmer Workshop. Requirements include being 21-45 years of age and actively crop farming in Minnesota. Applications, which close Nov. 15, will be reviewed and selected by Dec. 1, and maxed at 40 participants, after which a wait list will become available. Participation is free with lodging expenses also covered.

The application link can be found here.

Thursday January 23

7:30 am – 8:30 am: Lakes and Prairies Solar 101 - Moorhead
Thursday January 23
7:30 am – 8:30 am
Lakes and Prairies Solar 101 - Moorhead
Moorhead Public Library, 118 5th St S, Moorhead, MN 56560, USA
Learn about solar energy and its benefits for your home, or small business. This meeting will take you through the technology, economics, financing and more. You’ll also learn about the Solar Co-op in your area. The program is free to join, and members are not obligated to buy solar panels. For details and to register, click here. Information on the Lakes and Prairie Solar Co-op is here.

Tuesday January 28

9:00 am – 3:00 pm

LSP Small Grains Workshop: Economic Opportunity in a New Market Environment

Tuesday January 28

9:00 am – 3:00 pm

LSP Small Grains Workshop: Economic Opportunity in a New Market Environment

Edgewater Bay Pavilion, 1940 Edgewater Drive, Albert Lea MN 56007

Based on the visionary work of a fourth-generation farmer and scientist, Bob Quinn (Kamut International), and practical, farmer-innovators like Roy Pfaltzgraff (Pfz Farms) and Landon and Anne Plagge (Green Acres Milling), the Land Stewardship Project is hosting a workshop for producers who are seeking confidence and practical know-how related to raising and selling small grains. Join us at the Edgewater Bay Pavilion in Albert Lea, Minn., on Tuesday, January 28, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Learn about how farmers are:

Increasing the value of what they produce and demonstrating the value of those products to human and environmental health.
Diversifying crop production while maintaining quality and profitability.
Organizing around cooperatively processing and marketing grains.

Click here to register. The workshop flyer is available here. For more information, contact LSP’s Shea-Lynn Ramthun at 651-301-1897 or at slramthun@landstewardshipproject.org.

Bob Quinn
Bob Quinn’s roots run deep into the rich soil of Big Sandy, Montana, where he returned after earning a PhD in plant biochemistry from UC Davis to apply his scientific knowledge to the family farm. Bob Quinn’s vision extends beyond agriculture, embodying a holistic approach where local minimal processing, community, health, and education intertwine to redefine success in farming. By championing the idea that every grain and every harvest should enhance health, Bob has positioned the Quinn Institute as a leader in transforming agriculture into a health-giving enterprise.

Roy Pfaltzgraff
Roy Pfaltzgraff is the current head of PFZ Farms in Colorado. PFZ Farms’ mission is to help educate fellow producers and consumers about how food is grown and to provide high-quality products for their community. The third-generation family farm produces quality agricultural products with sustainable methods for a healthier world. While they produce a number of dry-land crops, they also have a number of smaller production focuses that support their overall vision of a regenerative farm.

Landon Plagge
Landon Plagge holds nearly 30 years of hands-on farming experience growing corn, soybeans, livestock, and oats, as well as managing a grain handling facility, stewarding one million bushels of grain annually. Landon studied Investment Banking at Bentley College and holds a degree in business administration from the University of Northern Iowa. Landon brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in sustainable farming practices and crop rotation, and frequently shares his experiences to help others improve their own practices. He is also one of the founders of Green Acres Milling, a farmer-owned oat processing facility under construction in Albert Lea, Minn.

5:30 pm – 8:00 pm

LSP Holistic Farm Transition Planning Course

Tuesday January 28

5:30 pm – 8:00 pm

LSP Holistic Farm Transition Planning Course

Online

Are you a farmland owner or retiring farmer looking to transition ownership or rent your farmland in ways that reflect your values? The Land Stewardship Project is hosting an online holistic Farm Transition Planning Course designed to help you act on your conservation and social values. Seven 2 ½ hour sessions will bring professionals, farmers, and LSP staff together to dig into values, goals, and communication, as well as generational, financial, legal and long-term care considerations.

The dates and times for the course are:

Jan 28: Goal Setting for Life & Land, 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m.
Feb. 4: Values and Why Farm Transition Planning is Needed, 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m.
Feb. 11: Financial Considerations, 5:30- 8 p.m.
Feb. 18: Legal Considerations, 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m.
Feb. 25: Working with Next Generation Farmers, 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m.
March 4: Long Term Care Considerations, 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m.
March 18: Resources and Planning Next Steps, Presentations, 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m.

Workshop Fee: $250 per farm family

For more information and to register, click here. You can also contact LSP’s Karen Stettler at stettler@landstewardshipproject.org.

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