State Policy

The Land Stewardship Project works for statewide policies and programs that will have positive impacts on Minnesota’s family farmers, rural communities, the environment and consumers. LSP shapes state policy priorities with the input of our members. At the core of this work is LSP’s State Policy Committee, which is made up of members who are farmers, consumers, environmentalists and others interested in creating a sustainable, economically-viable food and farming system in Minnesota. Over the years, LSP has successfully promoted and protected township and community rights, despite repeated efforts by agribusiness interests to weaken them through legislative action. LSP has also been a major player in obtaining state funding for research into sustainable and organic farming systems. Specifically, we have helped strengthen the work of the University of Minnesota’s Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA) and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Energy and Sustainable Agriculture Program. LSP’s work at the Minnesota Legislature led to the development of a nationally recognized alternative swine research facility at the West Central Research and Outreach Center. For more information on how you can get involved in creating good state policy, contact LSP’s Policy and Organizing Program at 612-722-6377 or bking@landstewardshipproject.org.

 

2008 State Policy Platform
In early 2008, the Land Stewardship Project's State Policy Committee developed a document called, "Renewing Family Farms & Rural Minnesota: State Policies that Make a Commitment to Minnesota's Family Farms, Rural Communities & Environmental Stewardship." This document outlines LSP's priorities for the 2008 session of the Minnesota Legislature. A pdf copy is available at http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/08/state_policy_platform.pdf. 

 

LSP's Wrap-up of 2008 Legislative Session
The 2008 Minnesota Legislative session adjourned on May 18. LSP members made a difference during the session promoting policies that help family farmers and stewardship of our land. And as always, we were vigilant on the issue of local democracy and township rights and defeated attempts to weaken these powers. Click here for an overview of our key work during the session.

 

Action Alerts
If you would like to receive state policy Action Alerts via e-mail, contact LSP’s Bobby King at bking@landstewardshipproject.org.

• July 16, 2008: Help Make Sure Livestock Investment Grants Program is Fair
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/alerts/08/newsr_080716.htm

• March 25, 2008: Tell Gov. Pawlenty to Fund RIM-Clean Energy
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/alerts/08/newsr_080325.htm

• March 7, 2008: Call the MN Capitol Today to Protect Local Control
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/alerts/08/newsr_080307.htm

• May 1, 2007: Tell the MN Legislature to Fully Fund Organic, Sustainable Ag at U of M. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/alerts/07/newsr_070501.htm

• April 12, 2007: Make Minnesota a National Leader in Sustainable & Organic Ag. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/alerts/07/newsr_070412.htm

• March 21, 2007: Sustainable & Organic Ag Legislative Package is Funded in the Minnesota Senate; Call Today to Make Sure it is Funded in the House. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/alerts/07/newsr_070321.htm

• February 28, 2007: Action Needed to Make Minnesota a National Leader in Sustainable & Organic Agriculture. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/alerts/07/newsr_070228.htm

 

State Capitol Updates
During the Minnesota legislative session, the Land Stewardship Project sends out regular e-mail updates on legislative issues related to our work. If you would like to subscribe to this free service, contact Bobby King at bking@landstewardshipproject.org.

• May 15, 2007: LSP State Capitol Update. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/07/newsr_070515.htm

• April 6, 2007: LSP State Capitol Update. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/07/newsr_070406.htm

• March 18, 2007: LSP State Capitol Update. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/07/newsr_070318.htm

 

Press Releases
• April 15, 2008: U of M Approves New Sustainable & Organic Ag Programs
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/08/newsr_080415.htm

• February 25, 2008: Financial Incentives Proposed for Farmers to Produce the Next Generation of Bioenergy Crops
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/08/newsr_080225.htm

• January 14, 2008: 2008 Capitol Family Farm Breakfast Feb. 19 in Saint Paul http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/08/newsr_080104.htm

• August 9, 2007: LSP’s Proposal for an Ongoing Organic Program at the University of Minnesota
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/07/newsr_070809.htm

• March 8, 2007: 2 Key Senate Committees Take Steps Toward Making Minn. a National Leader in Sustainable & Organic Farming. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/07/newsr_070308.htm

• February 15, 2007: House Ag Committee Takes Action to Make Minnesota a National Leader in Sustainable & Organic Farming. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/07/newsr_070215.htm

• February 8, 2007: MN Bill to Help Beginning Farmers With Access to Land Moves Forward. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/07/newsr_070208.htm

• January 25, 2007: LSP Family Farm Breakfast at the Capitol Feb. 6. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/07/newsr_070125.htm

• January 24, 2007: Sustainable Organic Dairy Field Day Feb. 13 in Morris. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/07/newsr_070124.htm

 

Articles, Commentaries & Podcasts
• “What’s ahead for LSP at the 2007 session of the Minnesota Legislature.” Winter 2007 Land Stewardship Letter. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/news-lsl.html

• “Minnesota sustainable ag program intact for now.” Winter 2007 Land Stewardship Letter, http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/news-lsl.html

• “MDA attempting to dismantle innovative farming program,” Autumn 2006 Land Stewardship Letter, http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/news-lsl.html

• "Fighting for Local Control" is a New York Times editorial that ran on Dec. 2, 2004. It calls Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty's Livestock Advisory Task Force recommendations "a blueprint for the destruction of family farming in Minnesota." http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/04/itn_041203.html

 

Resources & Links
• A Letter to Minnesota Township Officials was sent to over 1,700
townships in the state in July 2008. It describes successful efforts
during the 2008 legislative session to maintain strong local township
control. It also describes how township officials can encourage
lawmakers to support local democracy. Click here for a pdf copy.

• 'Grassroots Democracy & Local Control' Bumper Sticker
Display your support for local democracy with LSP's 3 x 9 red, white and blue bumper sticker. It features the words: "Grassroots Democracy & Local Control: Stand Up For MN Townships." For a free bumper sticker, call LSP's Policy and Organizing Program at 612-722-6377 or e-mail bking@landstewardshipproject.org. Bumper stickers are also available at LSP’s offices in the Minnesota communities of Lewiston (507-523-3366)
and Montevideo (320-269-2105).

• Letter to MPCA Commissioner Brad Moore is a letter sent by residents in Mower County, Minn., on April 14, 2008. It outlines the details of a situation where a feedlot officer and a factory farm firm colluded to build an operation in the county. The letter calls on the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to shut down the confinement facility and take other meaningful action as an enforcement agency. Click here for a pdf copy of the letter.

• LSP Livestock Grant Letter to Lawmakers is a letter written by the Land Stewardship Project's State Policy Committee on March 11, 2008. It is addressed to: Jim Vickerman, Chair of the Minnesota Senate's Agriculture and Veterans Budget and Policy Division Committee; Al Juhnke, Chair of the Minnesota House's Agriculture, Rural Economics and Veterans Affairs Finance Division Committee; and Mary Ellen Otremba, Chair of the Minnesota House's Agriculture, Rural Economics and Veterans Affairs Committee. The letter describes how a livestock grants program being proposed in the 2008 Minnesota Legislature should be structured so that it does not discriminate against small- and medium- sized farmers, or farmers who are using sustainable production practices such as managed rotational grazing. Click here for letter.

• Growing Green Fuel: RIM-Clean Energy is a fact sheet on a working lands conservation program that would support farmers who grow native perennials for bioenergy.  RIM-Clean Energy was created by the 2007 Minnesota Legislature, and the Land Stewardship Project is working with other groups to get funding for the program. For a pdf copy of the fact sheet, click here.

• When a Factory Farm Comes to Town: Protecting Your Township from Unwanted Development is an LSP manual that provides guidance on using the Minnesota Interim Ordinance and other tools in the state's Municipal Planning law. It also contains an extensive list of resources. This 52-page publication was originally published in 1997 and significantly revised in 2006. See http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pdf/township_manual06.pdf to download a pdf version (5.3 MB--may take awhile to download). Paper copies are available from LSP's Policy Program office by calling 612-722-6377, or e-mailing bking@landstewardshipproject.org.

• Creating a Bright Future for Livestock Farmers in Minnesota is a special report produced by the Citizen Task Force on Livestock Farmers & Rural Communities. The Citizen Task Force was a unique collaboration between four Minnesota farm groups: Minnesota Farmers Union, Minnesota National Farmers Organization, the Land Stewardship Project and the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota. The Citizen Task Force report’s recommendations focus on ways to increase the number and profitability of Minnesota livestock farmers in ways that benefit rural communities. See http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pdf/citiz_task_report.pdf to download a pdf version of this 26-page report.

• For information on contacting Minnesota state Senators and Representatives, see the “Who Represents Me?” page at http://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/Districtfinder.asp. You can also call 651-296-2146 or 800-657-3550 (TTY: 651-296-9896) for information on contacting lawmakers.

 

Upcoming State Policy Events
LSP Family Farm Breakfast at the Capitol: The fourth annual Land
Stewardship Project Family Farm Breakfast at the Capitol will be
Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009, from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., at Christ Lutheran
Church in Saint Paul. See
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/09/newsr_090112.htm for details.