nitrates

Land Line: Beyond Exports, Nitrate Lawsuit, Soil Health $$, Local Food, Ag Collapse?, Ag Econ Downer, ICE & Rural Economies

By Brian DeVore (editor)
February 13, 2026

Farmers Focus on Local Markets (1/31/26) The Tri-State Neighbor reports on a meeting in Rochester, Minn., where farmers and others gathered to discuss practical ways of diversifying the corn-soybean duo-culture that dominates Midwestern agriculture. Highlights: The “Beyond Exports” meeting, which was hosted by LSP, featured farmer-presenters who are in various stages of utilizing small grains,…  Read More →

Category: Blog
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Ear to the Ground 396: Accountable Ag

Ear to the Ground 392: Diversity’s Diet

Farmer and small grains marketer Matt Kruger sees a rotation based on raising food grade crops as a way for farmers to get rewarded for building soil health. It’s also a way to fight the only thing he truly hates. More Information • Jan. 27, 2026, LSP Workshop — “Beyond Exports: Rebuilding Local Markets” •…  Read More →

Tell the MPCA by Sept. 10 to Focus on Clean Water, New Crops & Living Cover

Agency Accepting Comments on Nutrient Reduction Strategy

August 22, 2025

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is accepting comments on updating its Minnesota Nutrient Reduction Strategy 2025 (full draft document found here), which establishes a roadmap for reaching both phosphorus and nitrate reduction goals.  Please take a moment to review LSP’s comments and rationale for actionable items for this plan and submit your comments via…  Read More →

Category: Action Alerts
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Land Line: USDA Changes, Climate-Smart Ag, Dead Zone, Nitrate Pollution, Feedlot Regs, Soil Bacteria, the Power of Diverse Farming

By Brian DeVore (editor)
July 28, 2025

‘Farming in the dark’: Brooke Rollins’ Leadership, DOGE’s Grip and the Cost to American Agriculture (7/22/25) According to Investigate Midwest, during her first six months in office U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins  has brought sweeping changes to USDA and largely embraced President Donald Trump’s agenda of downsizing the federal government. Mass firings have purged…  Read More →

Category: Blog
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Land Line: Tax Bill’s Ag Impact, Farmer Privacy, CAFO Water Demand, Honeybees, Nitrates, Solar’s Bright Spot, Farm Bankruptcies

By Brian DeVore (editor)
July 15, 2025

House Passes Tax Bill With SNAP Cuts, Billions for Immigration Enforcement, and Climate Rollbacks (7/7/25) President Donald Trump’s massive tax bill was passed by the U.S. House July 3 and signed into law by the President on July 4, reports Civil Eats. Highlights:  The bill includes the biggest-ever changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program…  Read More →

Category: Blog
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Land Line: Senate Budget Bill, Who Owns Land?, Nitrates, Conservation Cuts, Immigration, Drought When Wet, Judging Soil, Sea of Grass

By Brian DeVore (editor)
July 1, 2025

Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Clears Senate, Sending it Back to House (7/1/25) Vice President JD Vance broke a 50-50 tie in the U.S. Senate today to pass President Donald Trump’s centerpiece legislation on tax cuts and spending, the 940-page “One Big Beautiful Bill,” reports Oklahoma Farm Report. In order to pay for spending on…  Read More →

Category: Blog
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Legislative Wrap-Up: A Chaotic Session  Produces Concrete Results

Market Access, Land Access & Soil Health Support Passes 

By Laura Schreiber
May 20, 2025

Give it a Listen Episode 374 of LSP’s Ear to the Ground podcast features a discussion with government relations director Laura Schreiber about how the organization’s priorities fared during the legislative session. ♦ ♦ ♦ As I write this, the regular session of the 2025 Minnesota Legislature wrapped up with some unfinished business, which means…  Read More →

Category: Blog
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Sign the Petition Supporting Soil Health Legislation

2025 Legislative Session Concludes May 19

May 2, 2025

Building healthy soil across Minnesota is key to creating resiliency in the face of a changing climate and is also incredibly important in supporting clean water. We all want clean drinking water for our families and communities. Right now, bills are being heard in the Minnesota Legislature that could affect drinking water throughout the state…  Read More →

Category: Action Alerts
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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
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