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Take Action & Show Up for Emerging & BIPOC Farmers on Thursday, March 21

March 18, 2024

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The Land Stewardship Project needs you to take action to stand with emerging farmers — particularly Black farmers, Indigenous farmers, and farmers of color (BIPOC farmers).

Your state representative serves on the House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee. On Thursday, March 21, this committee is considering legislation that would remove emerging farmers, including BIPOC farmers, from being prioritized within statutes governing Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and Rural Finance Authority (RFA) programs.

H.F. 4098 (Vang) and S.F. 5049 (Putnam) would replace the prioritization of “emerging farmers” with the prioritization of “limited-resource farmers” for The Good Acre’s LEAFF Program, Beginning Farmer Equipment and Infrastructure Grants, the Down Payment Assistance Program, the Beginning Farmer Tax Credit, technical assistance grants, and others.

This proposal is a reaction to a race-based lawsuit from an extreme California-based law firm, driving the Legislature to make state statute “race neutral.”

LSP and our allies who represent BIPOC and emerging farmers have significant concerns about this bill:

  1. The development of this legislation has happened without the meaningful consultation of those most impacted by these proposed changes. LSP strongly values centering those most impacted by legislation in the legislative process — “nothing about us without us.” Emerging and BIPOC farmer organizations, as well as organizations instrumental in creating these programs, were not consulted in the crafting of this legislation and have been given little time and few opportunities to provide feedback.

  2. The proposed definition of a “limited-resource farmer” needs additional development. It currently only includes people farming under a lease or other rental arrangement of
    no more than three years in duration (when the person leasing or renting the land is not
    related to the lessee or renter by blood or marriage) and farmers whose majority of annual farm product sales are direct sales to the consumer. This leaves out many BIPOC and emerging farmers, including farmworkers and aspiring farmers who have not rented land before, farmers who primarily sell to institutions, and established emerging farmers who still face significant barriers.

  3. We need a full menu of options to legislatively respond to this lawsuit before pushing a proposal through that significantly changes MDA and RFA programs. LSP and our allies are in the process of compiling how other states have addressed lawsuits like this before, as well as consulting legal experts. We need time to determine the best path forward — not a quick fix that leaves people out of both the proposed legislation and the legislative process.

We need you to take action.

If you can, join us in-person at Thursday’s hearing (March 21), starting at 1 p.m., to demonstrate Minnesotans are paying attention to how our state shows up for BIPOC and emerging farmers! The hearing is located in the Basement Hearing Room of the State Office Building (100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard., St Paul, MN 55155). Learn more and RSVP here. Can’t join us? You can watch online here.

Whether or not you can join us on Thursday, please take just a few minutes to send an e-mail to your state representative. They need to hear from constituents like you. It’s easy for elected officials to ignore duplicative form messages, so please personalize your e-mail to include why this matters to you.

—Contact Your State Representative—

—Attend the Hearing—

All Minnesotans, and our farm and food system as a whole, benefit from getting more BIPOC and emerging farmers onto the land. Rather than allowing a California-based law firm to undermine Minnesota values and scare our elected officials, we have an opportunity to build upon our state’s reputation of being a leader in supporting BIPOC and emerging farmers.

Please take action however you can.

Category: Action Alerts
Tags: beginning farmers • BIPOC farmers • emerging farmers • Minnesota Department of Agriculture • Minnesota Legislature

Contact

Amanda Koehler, LSP policy manager, e-mail

Upcoming Events

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October 2025

Tuesday October 28

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
MDA Grants Webinar
Tuesday October 28
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
MDA Grants Webinar
Zoom online

Are you interested in applying for a grant from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA)? On Tuesday, Oct. 28, from noon to 1:30 p.m., the Land Stewardship Project will be holding an online webinar on four grants that will be available this fall. MDA staffers will go over the details of these grants and how to apply for them.

 To sign-up, click here.  

 This webinar will feature information on four grants:

– AGRI Livestock Investment Grant

– AGRI Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Grant 

– Preparing for Extreme Weather (Prepare) Grant

– AGRI Protecting Livestock from Avian Influenza (Protect) Grant 

For more information, contact LSP’s Alex Kiminski at akiminski@landstewardshipproject.org.

Wednesday October 29

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
Wednesday October 29
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement, 2800 University Ave, Des Moines, IA 50311, USA

The Johnson Center for Land Stewardship Policy is excited to share that one of our its primary pillars of work — a published collection of Paul Johnson’s writings —  is set for release on Oct. 2.  The book features a brief biography and a discussion of Paul’s ideas within the historical and future contexts of private lands conservation. 

For details on We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy click here.

Thursday October 30

5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
Thursday October 30
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Ave, Ames, IA 50010, USA

The Johnson Center for Land Stewardship Policy is excited to share that one of our its primary pillars of work — a published collection of Paul Johnson’s writings —  is set for release on Oct. 2.  The book features a brief biography and a discussion of Paul’s ideas within the historical and future contexts of private lands conservation. 

For details on We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy click here.

November 2025

Saturday November 1

6:15 pm – 9:15 pm
Community Potluck & Folk Dance in Bay City, Wis.
Saturday November 1
6:15 pm – 9:15 pm
Community Potluck & Folk Dance in Bay City, Wis.
W6275 Main St, Bay City, WI 54723, USA

Calling all folk dance lovers! The Land Stewardship Project is co-sponsoring a potluck and folk dance at the Town Hall in Bay City, Wis., on Saturday, Nov. 1. Can you attend or volunteer? LSP is looking for one or two more people to help represent our people-powered organization by tabling at this event. To volunteer, reply directly to this e-mail and let me know you’re available. 
 
For details, check out this flier. 

The potluck and dance are co-hosted by LSP members from Oxheart Farm and the Oak Center General Store. No RSVP required; please direct questions to Emmet at oxheartfarm@gmail.com.
 

Folk Dance Flyer 2025.jpg

Tuesday November 4

11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Birds in the Balance: Pest Control Services Across Crop Types
Tuesday November 4
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Birds in the Balance: Pest Control Services Across Crop Types
Online

This 10-lesson Wild Farm Alliance virtual course teaches agricultural professionals and farmers how to support beneficial birds and manage pest birds on farms. By learning how to assess the farm’s avian needs and opportunities, farms can be designed to provide for a diversity of beneficial birds. 

If pest birds are a problem, they can be discouraged with specific practices during the shorter periods when they cause damage. The sessions cover the latest research, tools and resources, and are given by experts in avian pest control, entomology, ornithology and conservation. While many topics and species are specific to the Midwest, most of the principles discussed are applicable across regions. 

Continuing Education Credits have been requested and are expected to be approved from American Society of Agronomy.

For details and to register, click here. 

The Course Schedule:

LESSON 1

Why Birds Belong on the Farm: Biodiversity, Pest Control & A Thriving Landscape

Tuesday, September 23, 2 p.m. CT


LESSON 2

Birds as Pest Control Allies on the Farm

Tuesday, October 14, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 3

Birds in the Balance: Pest Control Services Across Crop Types

Tuesday, November 4, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 4

Integrating Habitat into Croplands: Prairie Strips and Bird Conservation

Tuesday, December 2, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 5

Birds on the Farm: Balancing Biodiversity and Food Safety

Tuesday, January 13, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 6

Beyond the Crop: Birds, Biodiversity, and the Power of Edge Habitat

Tuesday, February 3, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 7

Bridging Forestry, Farming, and Habitat

Tuesday, February 24, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 8

Perennial Pathways: Agroforestry for Birds and Biodiversity on Farms

Tuesday, March 17, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 9

Birds on the Range: How Grazing Practices Shape Habitat for Grassland Species

Tuesday, April 7, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 10

Birds at Risk: How Pesticides Shape Safety on Agricultural Lands

Tuesday, April 28, 11 a.m. CT

View Full Calendar

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