soil health

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

May 21, 2022

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 →

Category: News Releases

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

Contact Lawmakers & Join LSP at the Capitol May 21

May 17, 2022

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 →

Category: Action Alerts

Tags: 100% Soil Healthy Campaign • climate change • emerging farmers • local meat processing • Minnesota Legislature • regional food systems • Soil and Water Conservation Districts • soil health

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

Ear to the Ground 271: Focusing on Fungi

Maks Kopish is looking through a microscope and seeing a way for soil to be self-reliant.

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

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

Take Action to Invest in Healthy Soil & Local Processing in Minnesota

March 17, 2022

Our vision for an abundant Minnesota with healthy land and water, thriving small and midsized farms and processing facilities, and healthy local foods has a big opportunity to advance at the state Legislature this week. We have FOUR hearings this week to invest part of our historic budget surplus in a farm and food system… Read More →

Category: Action Alerts

Tags: local processing • meat processing • Minnesota Department of Agriculture • Soil and Water Conservation Districts • 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

Ear to the Ground 270: It Doesn’t Rain Grass

In an area that receives 8-10 inches of precipitation annually, Mexican rancher Alejandro Carrillo’s philosophy is: “It’s not how much rain you get, it’s what you do with it.” That’s why he makes sure that water falling out of the sky has a friendly reception on the ground. More Information • Understanding Ag case study… Read More →

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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