Programs

  • Policy Organizing For Stewardship

    POLICY AND ORGANIZINGTHE LAND STEWARDSHIP PROJECT'S POLICY ORGANIZING STARTS FROM VALUES LIKE STEWARDSHIP AND JUSTICE AND THEN ORGANIZES PEOPLE, RESOURCES, AND IDEAS TO BUILD THE POWER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. LSP WORKS AT THE LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL LEVELS TO CHANGE CORPORATE, GOVERNMENTAL, AND INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES AND PRACTICES. KEY HIGHLIGHTS ON APRIL 13, 2023, LSP HELD THE LARGEST FAMILY FARM BREAKFAST AND LOBBY DAY IN OUR HISTORY. MORE THAN 300 FARMERS, RURAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ALLIES, AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS JOINED US FOR A BREAKFAST SOURCED FROM LSP MEMBER FARMS, A MOTIVATING PROGRAM, MEETINGS WITH OVER 100 LEGISLATORS (~50% OF MINNESOTA'S LEGISLATURE), AND TOWN HALLS WITH THE VICE CHAIRS OF THE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEES, ATTORNEY GENERAL, AND DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES. THIS POWERFUL EXAMPLE OF LSP'S ORGANIZING DURING THE 2023 MINNESOTA LEGISLATIVE SESSION HELPED TO SECURE HISTORIC INVESTMENTS IN BEGINNING FARMERS, REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE, RURAL COMMUNITIES, AND CLIMATE. TO SUPPORT RURAL PEOPLE WORKING TO STOP THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FACTORY FARMS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, LSP WORKED WITH RESIDENTS OF NINE MINNESOTA COUNTIES TO EDUCATE THEIR NEIGHBORS AND DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD. LSP HAS A LONG-STANDING COMMITMENT IN OUR THEORY OF CHANGE AND LONG-RANGE PLAN TO ADDRESSING RACIAL JUSTICE. OUR UNIQUE ROLE OFTEN INVOLVES WORKING IN PARTNERSHIPS AS WELL AS ENGAGING RURAL PEOPLE ON ISSUES OF RACIAL JUSTICE TO IDENTIFY INTERCONNECTIONS BETWEEN OUR ISSUES AND THEIR OWN SELF-INTEREST. THIS YEAR, LSP DEEPENED RELATIONSHIPS WITH BLACK, INDIGENOUS, AND PEOPLE OF COLOR (BIPOC)-LED ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH COLLABORATION ON POLICY WORK, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE FARM BILL. AS PART OF THIS WORK, WE TRAVELED TO WASHINGTON D.C. WITH LSP MEMBERS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF MIDWEST FARMERS OF COLOR COLLABORATIVE (MFCC) TO ADVOCATE FOR POLICIES THAT ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES OF CLIMATE CHANGE, CONSOLIDATION, AND LAND ACCESS.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jul 1, 2022 – Jun 30, 2023
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $903.5K

  • Membership And Outreach Engagement

    MEMBERSHIP AND OUTREACHTHE ADVANCEMENT DEPARTMENT HOUSES LSP'S MEMBERSHIP AND INDIVIDUAL GIVING TEAM, WHICH CONDUCTS ONGOING OUTREACH, RECRUITMENT, RENEWAL, FUNDRAISING, AND ENGAGEMENT OF LSP'S MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS. KEY HIGHLIGHTS DURING THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2023, THE TEAM ENGAGED 3,700 MEMBER HOUSEHOLDS WITH LSP UPDATES, MEMBERSHIP APPEALS, ACTION ALERTS, AND ORGANIC AND PAID SOCIAL MEDIA. THE TEAM COMMUNICATED DIRECTLY WITH MORE THAN 225,000 PEOPLE ABOUT REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE, STATE AND FEDERAL POLICIES, AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES THROUGH MAILED LETTERS, EMAILS, PHONE CALLS, TEXT MESSAGES, PERSONAL VISITS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jul 1, 2022 – Jun 30, 2023
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $705.4K

  • Soil Health Program

    SOIL HEALTHTHE SOIL HEALTH PROGRAM WORKS WITH FARMERS, LANDOWNERS, NATURAL RESOURCE PROFESSIONALS, AND SCIENTISTS TO PROMOTE AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS THAT TREAT SOIL AS A LONG-TERM INVESTMENT THAT CAN RESULT IN A MORE RESILIENT LANDSCAPE, THRIVING FARMS, AND VIBRANT COMMUNITIES. LSP'S FARMER-LED MODEL SUPPORTS LANDSCAPE-LEVEL CHANGE BY DIRECTLY SUPPORTING THE ADOPTION OF REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES THAT REDUCE RUNOFF, REDUCE EMISSIONS, IMPROVE SOIL FERTILITY AND FARM VIABILITY, AND INCREASE THE LAND'S RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF THE EXISTING IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE. BASED ON RESPONSES TO A SUMMER 2022 SURVEY, LSP ESTIMATES THAT WE HAVE DIRECTLY IMPACTED THE ADOPTION OF SOIL HEALTH PRACTICES ON MORE THAN 48,000 ACRES TO DATE.KEY HIGHLIGHTS MORE THAN 1,000 FARMERS AND LANDOWNERS ATTENDED EVENTS INCLUDING FILM FIELD DAYS, PASTURE WALKS, AND WORKSHOPS TO LEARN FROM FARMERS IN THEIR AREA AND BUILD COMMUNITY AROUND REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE. FOUR GROUPS OF 10-20 FARMERS AND GRAZERS PARTICIPATED IN OUR SOIL HUBS AND GRAZING GROUPS, SMALL PEER LEARNING GROUPS THAT MEET REGULARLY TO SHARE BEST PRACTICES FOR BUILDING SOIL HEALTH, TROUBLESHOOT, AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS THAT SUPPORT THEM TO SET AND WORK TOWARD GOALS FOR BUILDING SOIL HEALTH ON THEIR FARMS. IN THE FARMER-LED MOVEMENT FOR SOIL HEALTH, FARMER LEADERS PLAY A VITAL ROLE BY SPARKING INTEREST, CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO, AND ACTING AS A ROLE MODEL FOR OTHER FARMERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. LSP SUPPORTED MORE THAN 40 FARMERS TO PRACTICE SOIL HEALTH LEADERSHIP BY HOSTING FIELD DAYS ON THEIR FARMS, PRESENTING AT WORKSHOPS, AND ADVOCATING PUBLICLY FOR CONSERVATION PROGRAMS.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jul 1, 2022 – Jun 30, 2023
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $668K