8/6/24
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Following today’s announcement that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will be joining Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign for President, Land Stewardship Action (LSA) supports seeing Walz’s record on farm, food systems and rural issues brought to national attention.
Land Stewardship Project (LSP) members have worked with Governor Walz on issues related to keeping the land and people together since he was elected to Congress in 2006. In 2013, then-Congressman Walz championed the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act to reduce barriers for new and beginning farmers. This initiative is modeled after LSP’s highly successful Farm Beginnings Program. In 2018, he pushed for the Strengthening Our Investment in Land Stewardship (SOILS) Act to improve the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). LSP farmer-members developed the template for the precursor to CSP and the organization has long supported making EQIP a useful tool for regenerative, small and medium-sized farmers.
As Governor, Tim Walz has delivered historic investments in sustainable and regenerative agriculture, small and mid-sized farmers, and rural communities after decades of underfunding. In the past two years alone, this has included:
- Investing over $45 million to support farmers in implementing soil health practices and obtaining soil health equipment through grant and cost-share programs.
- Engaging more than 3,000 Minnesotans and 11 Tribal Nations in developing Minnesota’s Climate Action Framework — a plan for how the state can achieve a long-term vision of a carbon-neutral, resilient and equitable future for our state.
- Expanding funding for the Farm-to-School Program and allowing early childhood education centers and in-home childcare providers to participate in the program.
- Creating new positions within the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to build up resilient regional food systems, including a Meat and Poultry Processing Liaison, Farm-to-Institution Coordinator, and Climate Coordinator.
- Providing historic funding for the Emerging Farmers Office, doubling funding for the Farmland Down Payment Assistance Program and creating a Beginning Farmer Equipment and Infrastructure Grant Program.
“As a farmer, I have directly benefited from the state and federal initiatives Governor Walz has championed throughout his career,” said LSP member and Grant County livestock farmer Bryan Simon. “I have appreciated his commitment to addressing climate change, improving soil health, and prioritizing the needs of beginning farmers and farmers from marginalized communities. I am excited to see him take those priorities and commitments to the national stage.”
If Governor Walz becomes the next Vice President, Land Stewardship Action looks forward to continuing work with him to advance policies that put people and the land before corporate interests. LSA would also welcome Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan as the Governor of Minnesota. The Lt. Governor spoke at LSP’s 2024 Family Farm Breakfast in March, where she demonstrated that she is a strong advocate for the Farm-to-School Program as well as farmers and aspiring farmers who are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color).
The Land Stewardship Action (LSA) is the partner 501c(4) organization to the Land Stewardship Project. LSA is dedicated to fostering an ethic of stewardship for farmland, promoting sustainable agriculture and developing healthy communities through building political power. LSA has offices in the Minnesota communities of Montevideo, Lewiston and South Minneapolis.
Prepared and paid for by the Land Stewardship Action Fund, landstewardshipaction.org. It is not coordinated with or approved by any candidate nor is any candidate responsible for it.