The Land Stewardship Project is forming an 8-12 person steering committee focused on advancing our vision for people and the land through state policy during the 2023-24 legislative biennium. This team will be made up of two to three members of each existing LSP Policy Steering Committee, with an additional two to three at-large members, and will serve from August 2022 to August 2024.

This is a 3-7 hour per month commitment, depending on the season. The legislative session (January to May) will be the committee’s busier season. Additionally, we understand that members’ lives fluctuate season-to-season and participation may fluctuate season-to-season as well. We also recognize that many people experience barriers to being able to participate in roles like this — the Committee will have limited financial resources available for members to apply for if they face barriers such as travel costs for in-person meetings, lack of Internet access, childcare, or financial burdens. 

You would be a strong fit for this committee if you are committed to creating a multiracial and economically just farm and food system, rural communities, and healthcare system by building power to win transformative public policy in the state of Minnesota. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 

• Regularly attending and actively participating in steering committee meetings, held virtually (approximately one-per-month). 
• Regularly attending and rotationally co-leading LSP Monthly Virtual Organizing Meetings, held virtually (fourth Tuesday of each month from 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.). 
• Leading the development, strategy, and organizing of a holistic state policy agenda by deeply engaging LSP members and partners.  
• Helping organize a legislative session kick-off, LSP Family Farm Breakfast and Day at the Capitol, and end-of-legislative session strategy each legislative session.  
• Holding an in-district meeting with your legislators annually. 
• Building relationships with people, organizations, and businesses engaged in our farm, food, and healthcare systems. 
• Organizing LSP members and your own networks around advancing our holistic state policy agenda. 
• Serving as a spokesperson for the organization in the media, during events, and in front of decision-making bodies (i.e. state legislative committees). 
• Engaging with local, federal, and state LSP programs. 

We seek individuals with experience, expertise, and/or passion in the following areas:  

• Building an anti-racist, multi-racial, and decolonized farm and food system. 
• Creating a healthcare system in which all people have the affordable care they need when and where they need it. 
• Greatly increasing access to land and securing land tenure for small and mid-sized farmers and people who want to start farming in the Upper Midwest, particularly Black, brown, Indigenous, and young farmers or aspiring farmers. 
• Building the infrastructure needed by small and mid-sized farms and by rural and urban communities to create functioning local and regional food systems that support regenerative farming and provide all people with the nourishing foods they want and need. 
• Directly addressing the causes and effects of the economic crisis in agriculture by organizing to stop factory farm proposals, campaigning for structural changes in public policy, holding corporations and financial institutions accountable, working to assure adequate assistance for farmers in trouble, and advancing real long-term solutions to secure a just and sustainable food and farming system.  
• Developing resiliency and mitigating the climate crisis by promoting soil-building farming systems and moving our society away from a reliance on fossil fuels. 
• Developing and advocating for public policy — including drafting legislation, testifying before a legislative committee, lobbying, and holding constituent meetings. 

If you are interested in joining our State Policy Steering committee, fill out this questionnaire by August 31, 2022, at 11:59 p.m.

The Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP), the Center for Urban & Regional Affairs (CURA) Community Assistantship Program and our community partner, the Land Stewardship Project, have a fall opening for a 25% graduate research assistant. This project will use network and asset mapping to identify and strengthen connections between food producers, consumers, buyers, and institutions from the communities of Montevideo, Appleton, Granite Falls, and Madison, as well as the surrounding area. The overall goal of the partners’ work is to develop a resilient, regenerative community food system in southwestern Minnesota. For more information, contact the Land Stewardship Project’s Scott DeMuth at sdemuth@landstewardshipproject.org. To apply by July 20, go to https://www.myu.umn.edu/student-jobs and search for Job ID 349280.

The Land Stewardship Project is forming an 8-10 person steering committee focused on strategizing, leading, and moving forward LSP’s state policy work to advance climate solutions, create greater resiliency for our communities and land while increasing the adoption of soil health practices across Minnesota. At its core, this team believes that by coming together through people power we can advance climate action by making agriculture a part of the solution and help build a more just and resilient farm and food system.  

This is an active organizing committee, meaning that members will be engaged in setting LSP’s policy priorities and strategies to advance climate solutions and will be active in executing different tactics throughout the year together. For example: lobbying legislators, facilitating listening sessions with LSP members and supporters, or leading in-district meetings with your state legislators and members of your community.  

The committee will meet approximately once-a-month (we will be flexible during planting/harvest season). Members can expect to spend more time leading up to the legislative session working on policy priorities (August-December) with the legislative session running from January-May. This is a two-year commitment. Additionally, we understand that members’ lives fluctuate season-to-season and participation may fluctuate season-to-season as well. We also recognize that many people experience barriers to being able to participate in roles like this — the Committee will have some financial resources available for members to apply for if they face barriers such as travel costs for in-person meetings, lack of Internet, childcare needs, or financial burdens.  

You would be a strong fit for this committee if you are passionate about advancing bold climate solutions, increasing the adoption of soil health practices across our state and region, have experience in regenerative agriculture, or are excited to connect with people to take action and advance climate solutions. You also believe that through people-centered organizing we can create a racially and economically just farm and food system. 

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 

• Regularly attending and actively participating in Steering Committee Meetings, held primarily virtually (approximately one per month). We will try to have two meetings a year in-person that follow COVID-19 guidelines.  
• Leading the development, strategy, and organizing of LSP’s Soil Health and Climate campaign by deeply engaging LSP members and partners to identify what policy solutions will advance our work forward. 
• Actively developing public policy. This could look a variety of ways, from providing feedback on policy ideas and conducting research/research visits, to hosting a listening session on your farm, for example.  
• Serving as a spokesperson for the organization in the media, during events, and in front of decision-making bodies (i.e. state legislative committees). 
• Be a part of one or more of the following: legislative session kick-off, Family Farm Breakfast and Day at the Capitol, and end-of-legislative session strategy each legislative session.  
• Building relationships with people, organizations, and businesses engaged in our farm and food system. 
• Organizing LSP members and your own networks around advancing our soil health and climate policy agenda. This could include, if actively farming, hosting a soil health field day on your farm with LSP members and/or legislators.  
• Holding an in-district meeting with your legislators annually. 
• Engaging with local, federal, and LSP programs organizing as appropriate and able. 

 We seek individuals with experience, expertise, and/or passion in the following areas:  

• Social justice and racial justice — creating a food system that lifts all people up no matter the color of your skin, income or background. 
• Developing resiliency from and mitigating the climate crisis by innovating and promoting soil-building farming systems and moving our society away from a reliance on fossil fuels. 
• Developing and advocating for public policy, including grassroots organizing, drafting legislation, testifying in a legislative committee, lobbying and holding constituent meetings. 

If you are interested in joining the Soil Health and Climate Change Committee, fill out this questionnaire by August 31, 2022, at 11:59 p.m.