LAND STEWARDSHIP PROJECT

Programs: See schedule ocommunity-based food systems seeks to advance local and regional food systems in which food is grown with high levels of stewardship and racial equity is practiced, and landscape-level stewardship is achieved. In the twin cities, lsp: partnered with the hope community, where more than 150 diverse low-income people have been involved in year-round seasonal activities to build skills, knowledge, and community around healthy food; operated 2,500 square feet of existing community growing space; engaged 50 community members to help plan for an innovative 5,000 square feet community teaching garden and; worked with community leaders from hope community to advance racial equity as part of the minneapolis park and recreation board's urban agriculture plan. Lsp published a directory of 66 community supported agriculture farms including those in rural mn and western wi. To help small rural food co-ops build stronger relationships, lsp convened a breakout session with seven small-scale, rural food co-ops at the minnesota food co-op board conference. To support urban farmers, lsp advocated for improvements to the minneapolis farmstand ordinance. In addition, lsp: participated in several actions by organizations led by communities of color; held an earth day breakfast in conjunction with the red stag supperclub; and through eat for equity, held a supper event featuring lsp's work. To achieve landscape-level stewardship in watersheds, lsp: partnered with the chippewa river watershed project and other government and private institutions as part of the chippewa 10% project (c10) and with trout unlimited in the root river watershed to address water quality, habitat and farmer profitability through continuous living cover. In the chippewa river basin, lsp and partners: met individually with 29 farmers about stewardship values and options; reached 268 people in eight workshops and field days, including 90 farmers and ranchers who attended grazing and grassland conservation training by ranchers jerry doan and gene goven; organized four networks of 80 farmers and landowners, which has led to changes in management on 10,000 acres of rotational grazing, conservation leases by women landowners and a 22 farmer cover crop/soil health innovation group with twice annual biological soil testing and two visits per year with a usda-ars soil scientist. Over the last three years, lsp: engaged over 290 farmers and landowners in conversations about stewardship values, conservation and profit; met with 143 owners of 12,350 acres of native prairie designated in the prairie preservation plan, of which 20 have enrolled it in easements or developed conservation grazing plans. Lsp utilized geographic information systems to identify 114,000 acres of sensitive and marginal cropland and, with partners, used integrated models to predict changes in ecosystem services if continuous living cover systems were adopted in those areas. The hydrologic simulation program fortran showed that continuous living cover options are the most effective strategies on a per acre basis to reduce runoff into streams. In the root river, lsp: organized an advisory committee for the work, and with partners; engaged 190 farmers/landowners; cost-shared cover crops, soil tests and grazing plans on 355 acres; assisted 50 farmers and landowners to adopt cover crops (130 acres), riparian grazing (65 acres) and conservation leases; and held four workshops or field days with 64 people. In addition, lsp: serves on steering committee, co-chairs the watershed initiative and the perennial forage working group of green lands blue waters.

see schedule othe policy and organizing program starts from values, like stewardship and justice, and then organizes growing number of people, resources and ideas to build the power to make a difference. It works at the local, state and national levels to change corporate, governmental and institutional policies and practices. At the federal level, lsp: mailed to 12,000 farmers in mn, wi, mi, and nc and sc to urge them to send comments on conservation stewardship program (csp) rules to natural resources conservation service; encouraged participation in the csp program in mn through blogs, mailing and calls; hosted representative peterson on a farm in the summer of 2014 to talk about conservation with 20 people; and published a report on the use of beginning farmer and rancher development program in 2014 calling for it to focus support on community-based organizations more than university-led collaborations. Together with staff in farm beginnings, lsp: conducted research on federally subsidized crop insurance and released a series of three white papers about the corporate connection, how big farms get bigger and how crop insurance hurts the next generation of farmers; received substantial regional and national media exposure; released principles for reform; sent 12,000 csp contract holders updates on crop insurance white papers - 85% of 790 respondents agreed that crop insurance needs reform in three key areas outlined by lsp. Lsp co-led the food and ag justice campaign (fajc), a collaboration with rural membership organizations in 10 states across the midwest and west, to greatly expand the base of people engaged and elevate a new public narrative that speaks to better care of the land, a healthier food system, improved land access and tenure for beginning farmers, rural economic prosperity and less corporate control over the food system; conducted 30 one-to-one organizing meetings with individuals; held three stewardship and democracy organizing meetings with 200 members in new ulm, granite falls and plainview about excessive corporate power and what participants wanted for the future of their communities; sent 50,000 and 60,000 piece mailings with information about lsp's positions on the trans pacific partnership agreement (tpp) and attacks on the minnesota pollution control agency's citizens board after it ordered an environmental review of an 8,850 cow factory farm, respectively; conducted follow-up with respondents; opposed the passage of fast track authority and the tpp because of its excessive benefits to corporate interests while having the potential to undermine environmental protections, fair labor standards and local control or state environmental protections. In conjunction with the minnesota legislative session, lsp with allies: engaged members to testify in support of the mpca citizens board and it's decision; organized to protect the environmental review policy and the minnesota pollution control agency citizens board-which, however, was eliminated without a hearing by a conference committee of the legislature; supported the governor's buffer initiative; opposed a factory farm exemption from the mn farm nuisance law; fought proposals to eliminate minnesotacare; successfully advocated for a $1 million appropriation for funding for forever green cover crops plant breeding initiative at university of minnesota; successfully sought to widen participation in a proposed ag research board beyond corporate agriculture interests and shift decision making to university of minnesota; organized to seek a veto by governor dayton of the 2015 environmental and natural resources bill which undermined bedrock environmental protections in state law. Lsp and allies organized to oppose frac sand mining in southeast mn: with letters and calls successfully pressed the minnesota pollution control agency to require environmental review over the proposed expansion of a shipping facility in winona; called for enforcement by the mn department of natural resources new using trout stream setback policy; called for governor dayton to develop strong rules for these policies; arranged for a bus load of members to testify on frac sand mining problems; released a ground breaking report "breaking the rules for profit: an analysis of the frac sand industry's violations of state regulations & manipulation of local governments in wisconsin"; and developed a winona county steering committee to help guide and participate in organizing to oppose more frac sand mining in the area. Lsp, with allies: organized to put people, not insurance company profits, at the center of healthcare reform; engaged the member-led healthcare organizing committee; published information about mnsure sign-ups in the land stewardship letter; and worked to protect minnesotacare from legislative attacks. Additionally, lsp: served on the natural resources conservation service's state technical committee; hosted the family farm breakfast attended by over 220 lawmakers, lsp members and friends; supported allies in calling for immigration reform; and participated in takeaction minnesota, minnesota environmental partnership, national sustainable agriculture coalition, animal reform coalition, and rural coalition.

see schedule ofarm beginnings works to put more farmers on the land raising crops and livestock with good stewardship practices. To achieve this, lsp: brings together people from current farming communities, people of color and people from urban centers to farmer-led, community-based training and support for new farmers; 750 people have graduated from the lsp's farm beginnings course in the region since 1997; graduates are involved in a wide-range of agricul-tural enterprises, including grass-based livestock and organic vegetable production. Lsp conducted two farm beginnings courses with a total of 32 families in watertown, mn and la crosse, wi; held 10 field days/skills sessions; held three "farm dreams" introductory workshops; and created localized list serves for the lsp farmer network of 130 beginning and experienced farmers. Lsp started a second two-year journeyperson course, which assists advanced beginning farmers with financial planning training, production mentoring, financial tracking and a matched savings account. We signed 20 new contracts for the matched savings account program and distributed $22,200 toward 31 previous contracts. To achieve more secure, affordable and long term access to farmland for beginning farmers, lsp: convened farm transition coaches to work with transitions; published three stories on successful farm transitions between unrelated generations and the "seeking farmers-seeking land clearinghouse" with 150+ postings to identify options for farmers and land; co-sponsored a workshop on a smooth and informed transition of farmland across generations for women farmers and landowners in lanesboro. Through "farmers growing communities" we engaged 110 people in discussing what they want for the future of their communities through individual visits, community events, farm tours and/or community engagement meetings in starbuck and watertown, mn and new richmond and la crosse, wi. Nominated by lsp, beginning farmers participants ryan and tiffany batalden were chosen as white house 'champions of change' and honored in washington, d. C. On july 29th; and an lsp staff member was appointed to a usda subcommittee on land tenure and spoke on a panel at the women in agriculture summit. To strengthen beginning farmer training across the country, lsp co-convened the multi-state farm beginnings collaborative with partners in me, ne, ny, nc, nd, sc, sd and three programs in il: met in washington d. C. And asheville, nc.