Winona County Stewards - Land Stewardship Project

This web page highlights the efforts of Land Stewardship Project members in southeastern Minnesota’s Winona County to create a regenerative farm and food system that is good for the water, land, and rural communities. During the past three years, many Winona County residents have been focused on fighting the attempt by Daley Farm to expand its dairy to 6,000 animal units, four times the county’s current animal unit cap. This expanded facility would produce 46 million gallons of manure annually in a karst geological area already experiencing problems with groundwater pollution.

Here you will find blogs, press releases, action alerts, letters-to-the-editor, and videos related to this fight.

The Big Picture: Winona County Videos

Check out these videos produced by Greener Pastures for LSP where Winona County residents make it clear why they are fighting factory farming in their community.

• LSP Members Speak Out for a Farming System that’s Good for the Community

• Where’s It Gonna End?

Take the Pledge: Say NO to Factory Farms

In the Upper Midwest, we know how special the land that sustains us is. Factory farms jeopardizes not only the land itself but the communities that rely on it. They threaten the water and land with pollution, force small to mid-sized farmers out of business, and weaken local economies. Join other LSP members in taking the “No to Factory Farms” pledge today.

Letters: Speaking for the Land, Farms & Communities

One way Winona County residents have made their voices heard on the Daley Farm issue has been through letters-to-the-editor published in local newspapers. Below are some of those letters:

Oppose Daley Farm expansion, by Karen and Richard Ahrens — Nov. 28
County Animal Caps Matter, by James Armstrong — Nov. 28
Proposed expansion brings danger, by Wayne Ode — Nov. 28
Big Ag is on an intimidation campaign, by Tessa Schweitzer — Nov. 27
Feedlot cap serves purpose; variances should be modest, by Richard Dahl — Nov. 24
Daley Farm to subject county to literacy test, by Tim Ahrens — Nov. 10
Factory farms threaten rural communities, by Sam Streukens — November 17
Does Daley Farm even qualify for a permit? by Barb Nelson — September 22
Stop the Daley Farm expansion now, by Deanne Sczepanski — September 22
Daley Farm should conform to existing rules, by Barb Nelson — September 12
Farm expansion is a public health issue, by Lisa Schnepper — August 11
Preserve water quality, keep animal unit cap on farms, by Doug Nopar — August 4

Blogs, Press Releases, Action Alerts

• Farm Aid Blog: Fighting for Family Farms in Minnesota (6/6/22)

• Press Release: LSP Statement on Daley Farm Appeal of Winona County BOA Decision (1/5/22)

• LSP Blog: Winona County BOA Denial of CAFO Variance a Win for Farms, People & the Land (12/2/21)

• LSP Blog: Court’s Decision a Win for Land, Communities & Farms (11/3/21)

Media Stories

• Winona Post: County Board sticks by animal unit cap (6/1/22)

• Star Tribune: Winona County rejects dairy farm expansion (12/2/21)

• Winona Post: Daley Farm expansion denied again, appeal possible (12/2/21)

community holding signs against factory farms

Winona County residents gathered on Nov. 28, 2021, to call for the Board of Adjustment to deny Daley Farm’s request for a animal unit cap variance.

Upcoming Events

June 2023

Wednesday June 7

11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Forever Green Webinar on Winter Camelina
Wednesday June 7
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Forever Green Webinar on Winter Camelina
The Environmental & Economic Clusters of Opportunity (EECO) grant provides an ecosystem services payment as well as risk management payments to growers enrolled in the program for winter barley, hybrid winter rye, winter camelina, and Kernza. Join us for an introductory webinar series on these four crops where we pair University researchers and Extension professionals with farmers who have trialed these crops on-farm. On June 7, there will be a webinar on winter camelina. Presenters include Matthew Ott (UMN post doc researcher, camelina genetics) and Anne Schwagerl (farmer, Browns Valley, Minn.).

To sign-up for the June 7 webinar on winter camelina, click here. These presentations will be recorded for future viewing if you’re not able to make it.
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm: Local Foods Planning Session June 7 in Madison
Wednesday June 7
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Local Foods Planning Session June 7 in Madison
The Madison Mercantile Local Food Planning Group will be meetingWednesday, June 7, from 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.,at the Madison Mercantile. We will be brainstorming plans for creating a local food infrastructure at the Mercantile, as well as sharing local food opportunities through theReal Food Hub in WillmarandBecker Market.

Madison Mercantile Local Food Planning Group

Wednesday, June 7th @ 6 PM

Madison Mercantile

601 1st St., Madison, MN

Tuesday June 13

11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Forever Green Webinar on Kernza
Tuesday June 13
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Forever Green Webinar on Kernza
The Environmental & Economic Clusters of Opportunity (EECO) grant provides an ecosystem services payment as well as risk management payments to growers enrolled in the program for winter barley, hybrid winter rye, winter camelina, and Kernza. Join us for an introductory webinar series on these four crops where we pair University researchers and Extension professionals with farmers who have trialed these crops on-farm. The June 13 webinar on Kernza features Jake Jungers (UMN assistant professor), Prabin Bajgain (UMN assistant professor) and Jay Peterson (farmer, Blooming Prairie, Minn.)

To sign up for the June 13 webinar on Kernza, click here. These presentations will be recorded for future viewing if you’re not able to make it.
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm: Upper Sioux State Park Land Return Listening Sessions & Planning Forward
Tuesday June 13
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Upper Sioux State Park Land Return Listening Sessions & Planning Forward
On April 5,there was a historic town hall meeting in Granite Falls where regional residents and Upper Sioux Community members came together to learn about the Upper Sioux Community’s history, relationship, and desires for the return of the Upper Sioux Agency State Park to the Upper Sioux Community. We also were able to ask questions of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources representatives and local elected officials, as well other community members. A proposal to return the state park land to the Upper Sioux Community was officially passed by the Minnesota Legislature during its recently concluded session.

We were encouraged by how we saw our neighbors respond to this proposal, being for the most part supportive of the return.We also heard how important and precious access to green spaces is to all of us who live here, and that many of us have deep connections and relationships with that park.

Please come and share your stories of connection and relationship to the Upper Sioux Agency State Park; we want to understand and honor our connection to this place and channelour passion for the area. We want to think as a community where we might be able to create new public access acres in the river valley with the funds allocated for replacement.Let’s beready and united to advocate locally for these green acres!

Join us on Tuesday, June 13, and/or Wednesday, June 28, at the Granite Falls Kilowatt Community Center (600 Kilowatt Drive, Granite Falls, MN 5624), from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., for a light meal, and to share our stories and link arms to create new parkland in western Minnesota.

This event is free and open to the public, but food can only be guaranteed for those who register in advance. Please clickhere to register for June 13and/orhere to register for June 28.

Please contact Robin Moore atrmoore@landstewardshipproject.orgor 320-321-5244 if you have any questions.

This event is organized and hosted in partnership with The YES! House with Department of Public Transformation.

Wednesday June 14

11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Forever Green Webinar on Hybrid Winter Rye
Wednesday June 14
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Forever Green Webinar on Hybrid Winter Rye
The Environmental & Economic Clusters of Opportunity (EECO) grant provides an ecosystem services payment as well as risk management payments to growers enrolled in the program for winter barley, hybrid winter rye, winter camelina, and Kernza. Join us for an introductory webinar series on these four crops where we pair University researchers and Extension professionals with farmers who have trialed these crops on-farm. On June 14, there will be a webinar on hybrid winter rye. Presenters include Jochum Wiersma (UMN Extension small grains agronomist) and Richard Magnusson (farmer, Roseau, Minn.)

To sign-up for the June 14 webinar on hybrid winter rye, click here. These presentations will be recorded for future viewing if you’re not able to make it.

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