regional food systems

Ear to the Ground 299: Road to Resilience

Laura Lengnick believes that if farms are to survive (and thrive) in the age of climate change, we need to remember it’s not just about soil and water — it’s also about people. More Information • Resilient Agriculture: Cultivating Food Systems for a Changing Climate, by Laura Lengnick • SARE Publication: Cultivating Climate Resilience on Farms…  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

LSP Platform Calls for Farm Bill that Supports Farmers, Rural Communities & the Land

Platform & Survey Results Released on Northfield Area Farm Today

NORTHFIELD, Minn. — The new federal Farm Bill must benefit farmers, rural communities and the land, rather than corporate interests, said farmer-leaders of the Land Stewardship Project (LSP) today during the release of the organization’s priorities for the nation’s most comprehensive agricultural policy initiative. LSP’s 2023 Farm Bill Platform, which was launched during an event…  Read More

Land Line: Tillage’s Toll, Conservation & Leases, Soil Health & Nutrient Density, Emerging Farmer Help

June 22: An LSP Round-up of News Covering Land, People & Communities

The Midwest has Lost 57.6 Billion Metric Tons of Soil Due to Agricultural Practices (3/16/22) The Midwest has lost approximately 57.6 billion metric tons of topsoil since farmers began tilling the soil, 160 years ago. And this is despite conservation practices put in place in the wake of the Dust Bowl in the 1930s, according to Phys.org. Much…  Read More

Tell the MN Senate to Finish the Job

The 2022 Minnesota legislative session ended last week with more undone than done. Bills that included funding for the Board of Water and Soil Resources, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program did not make it across the finish line in time. The Speaker of the Minnesota House and the Governor…  Read More

2022 Minnesota Legislative Session Wrap-up — Maybe?

More Undone than Done, but Some Key Wins LSP is Eager to Build on

The 2022 Minnesota legislative session held incredible promise in the form of a historic budget surplus that had the opportunity to deliver tangible progress on the biggest challenges we face. For example, the Minnesota House Climate Action Caucus, chaired by Rep. Patty Acomb (DFL-Minnetonka), began the session with a bang, proposing a $1 billion investment…  Read More

Minnesota Legislative Leadership Squanders Opportunity to Fully Support Farmers, Food Systems & the Land in Ag Budget 

With 24 Hours Left in the Regular Session, Rural Support Could Still Pass 

SAINT PAUL, Minn. — As the agriculture budget emerged from a House-Senate conference committee Friday evening, it appeared legislative leaders had squandered a major opportunity to invest in an economically and ecologically sustainable rural Minnesota, according to the Land Stewardship Project (LSP). “This was the state’s chance to help farmers build the kind of agricultural…  Read More

Let’s Get a Robust State Budget Across the Finish Line!

Contact Lawmakers & Join LSP at the Capitol May 21

The Minnesota legislative session ends in just six days and we need your help in ensuring a robust budget that invests in our farmers and communities makes it across the finish line. Check out the Land Stewardship Project’s latest blog for details on where our priorities stand. Here are two opportunities to take action: Join…  Read More

Ear to the Ground 272: Micro Milk Mentorship

Government regulators may be befuddled by Cella Langer and Emmet Fisher’s tiny dairy, but these Farm Beginnings/Journeyperson grads know exactly where it fits into their business. More information: • Land Stewardship Letter Oxheart Farm profile • Oxheart Farm • LSP’s Farm Beginnings • LSP’s Journeyperson • MOSES Farmer-to-Farmer Mentorship Program You can find LSP Ear to the…  Read More

Soil Health & Racial Justice — What?!

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

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