Land Stewardship Project

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 highlightsengaging 847 farmers and their rural neighbors in policy and organizing campaigns that advance our community's values of Stewardship and justice. An example of this was our 2024 family farm breakfast, which was attended by 295 people who came together for a locally-sourced breakfast, town hall meetings with elected officials, and sharing their stories with legislators and other community members.creating and supporting two new local groups of community members working on animal agriculture issues in western Minnesota and in fillmore county. These local campaigns have been successfully tying water quality, local foods, community, and local economic issues together to collectively focus on campaigns around manure digesters, local level animal unit caps, and proposed expansions. More than 200 people attended organizing meetings and a water quality forum in winona in the fall of 2023.

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. Key highlightssupporting 109 people to build support for soil health and a more just and sustainable food system through leadership actions in their immediate communities, in the media, and through interactions with decision makers at all levels of government. Highlights included 13 farmers presenting at this year's farm beginnings class, a feature in the star tribune on farmers speaking out for soil health practices and water quality in southeast Minnesota, and 8 farmers traveling to Washington d.c. to advocate for conservation programs, equitable Land access, and other issues.

Membership and communication the membership and communications team, which conducts ongoing outreach, recruitment, renewal, fundraising, and engagement of lsp's members and supporters. Key highlightsduring the year ending june 30, 2024, the team engaged 3,654 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.