nitrate pollution

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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Land Line: Grazing Legislation, Diversification Barriers, Nitrate Cancer Review, Riverview Lawsuit, Devil’s Element, Local Meat Processing, Returning to the Farm

By Brian DeVore (editor)
August 26, 2026

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 →

Category: Blog
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Farmers Discuss Balancing Profits & Clean Water When it Comes to Nitrogen

LSP’s Farmer-Centered ‘Rethinking Nitrogen’ Campaign Launched

August 25, 2026

BYRON, Minn. — How do you grapple with a hidden problem? That was a question at the center of a Land Stewardship Project (LSP) “Smarter Nitrogen Policy” discussion involving around two dozen farmers, water quality experts and state legislators at the Martin Larsen farm near Byron Aug. 20. “We fix what we can see —…  Read More →

Category: News Releases
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Land Line: Public Input on Mega-Dairies, Ag Water Audit, Nutrient Pollution’s Legacy, Cover Crop Hesitancy, Emerging Farmer Grants, Happy Graziers, Big Lettuce’s Diarrhea Dilemma

By Brian DeVore (editor)
July 30, 2026

Sign Up for E-mail Delivery of The Land Line MDA to Gather Input on Socioeconomic Impact of Large-Scale Dairies in Minnesota (7/16/26) Morning Ag Clips reports that the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is gathering public input on the socioeconomic impact of large-scale dairies in the state. Highlights: The MDA is soliciting input after the…  Read More →

Category: Blog
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Land Line: Nitrate Pollution, Oats, Packers at the Trough, Consolidation, Right to Repair, Crop Profits, Bird Flu

By Brian DeVore (editor)
July 10, 2026

Sign Up for E-mail Delivery of The Land Line Report Calls for Stricter Fertilizer Rules as US Nitrate Pollution Crisis Grows (6/1/26) The New Lede writes about a report that finds lax regulations and mismanaged applications are contributing to making nitrogen runoff a major water pollution problem in the U.S. Highlights: U.S. farmers annually apply…  Read More →

Category: Blog
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Legislative Wrap-up: Lack of Ag Bill Passage Represents Lost Opportunities 

Some Gains Made for Clean Water/Soil Health & Beginning Farmers

By Laura Schreiber 
June 4, 2026

It’s been said that politics is the art of the compromise. But during the 2026 session of the Minnesota Legislature, that approach to policymaking was undermined by disagreements about the role one particular herbicide should play in the state’s agricultural production system. As the session of the Minnesota Legislature entered its final month, it was…  Read More →

Category: Blog
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Land Line: Nitrates, High Tech Mismatch, Dairy Soil Health, USDA Cuts, A Dairy’s Demise, New Farm Bill, Whole Grain Baking

By Brian DeVore (editor)
May 12, 2026

Sign Up for E-mail Delivery of The Land Line Nearly One-Fifth of Americans Are Consuming Water With High Levels of Nitrates (4/27/26) Close to 20% of Americans are exposed to water polluted with high levels of potentially cancer-causing nitrates, known to come mostly from agricultural runoff, according to a study reported on in Inside Climate…  Read More →

Category: Blog
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Tell Your Legislators: Fund the SE MN Groundwater & Soil Health Initiative

Contact Lawmakers by May 14

May 11, 2026

Nitrate levels in southeastern Minnesota’s groundwater are a major problem — and thousands of families depend on that water for drinking. The good news: we have a proven solution. The Olmsted County Groundwater Protection and Soil Health Program has helped farmers reduce nitrate leaching across thousands of acres since 2023. Now, the Minnesota Legislature has an…  Read More →

Category: Action Alerts
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Land Line: Nitrate Pollution, Sensing Trouble, Fertilizer Prices, Price Crunch, EIS for CAFOs, MAHA & School Lunch, Oats

By Brian DeVore (editor)
April 24, 2026

Sign Up for E-mail Delivery of The Land Line Nitrate is Quietly Polluting Rural Drinking Wells. How Researchers are Working to Help (4/21/26) Harvest Public Media reports that across the Midwest and Great Plains, large-scale fertilizer application and livestock facilities have increased the pace of nitrate contamination accumulating in groundwater. Highlights: Scientists have tested more…  Read More →

Category: Blog
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Nitrate’s Day at the Capitol

Special Oversight Hearing Highlights a Key Question: Who Pays for Pollution?

By Brian DeVore
April 9, 2026

How critical is nitrogen to raising corn in the Midwest? Well, consider the fact that farmers feel compelled to pay for it, even at a time when the war with Iran is sending prices to dizzying heights during the 2026 planting season. The agronomic value of nitrogen became clear during a special oversight hearing held…  Read More →

Category: Blog
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