A few random thoughts from the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota’s 18th annual conference, which was held at St. Olaf in Northfield last Saturday: (more…)

This week’s update from lobbyist John Tuma:

“Day or night or good weather or bad made no difference with John Beargrease; he was sure to arrive some time with the mail intact.”
- Willis H. Raff, Pioneers in the Wilderness*

(more…)

Check out the debating skills of Len Anderson when he went toe-to-toe with Frank Ongaro (Executive Director of MiningMinnesota) over the Safe Mines to Protect Our Water legislation that was introduced in the Minnesota State Legislature last week.  (more…)

By J. Drake Hamilton, science policy director, Fresh Energy

Members of Congress are now the focal point in U.S. energy and climate policy. Congress has the responsibility for leadership in designing the policies that will reinvent our economy around clean energy and taking science-based action to limit and reduce global warming pollution. (more…)

As we’ve reported here recently, changes made to the Minnesota Green Acres program by the 2008 Legislature have raised havoc with farmers, assessors, environmentalists and anyone else who cares about the future of our rural landscape. One way to fix this debacle is for farmers to convey to lawmakers their passion for the land and how these changes are threatening their ability to produce food while being food stewards. Scott County farmer Heidi Morlock recently shared her farm’s story on Episode 61 of LSP’s Ear to the Ground podcast. You can almost hear the frogs singing in her wetland.

“I have not felt as if I were fighting for Knute Nelson, or any other little Norwegian, but for principle.”*
Knute Nelson, July 12, 1882

I have to make a confession, I’m a populist.  I take extra special enjoyment when a hard-working, honest citizen takes a stand on principle against the well-funded power brokers and wins.  Knute Nelson was one of those great populists in our state’s history.  (more…)

by Elena Velkov, Fresh Energy

Next week, 10,000 youths nationwide will convene in Washington, D.C., for Power Shift ‘09. They will spend the weekend at workshops on climate issues, and then they will attend a Lobby Day. The group will have the chance to speak directly with decision makers and express its demands for a clean energy economy. The youths will ask for strict, governmental carbon reductions that are at the scale of the problem; increased renewable energy to keep the air clean; green jobs for their future; and U.S. leadership in these tasks.

If you find yourself on the University of Minnesota or Macalester campus Thursday night, you will see as many as 300 students from Minnesota piling into buses, eager to make the 1,100-mile trip to the Capitol. They’re taking time away from classes and work, and each person has her own story. (more…)

While Minnesotans offer their ideas on how to deal with the massive state budget deficit at community hearings throughout the state in the next few weeks, we should take time to reflect on how recent federal actions will impact our Great Outdoors.
(more…)

When the New York Times‘ Andrew Martin dug into the results from the most recent U.S. Census of Agriculture, the resulting article had a clever headline: “Farm Living (Subsidized by a Job Elsewhere).” Which raises the question: what’s wrong with that? (more…)

This week’s update from lobbyist John Tuma:

“The selection of a chief author seals the fate of many bills… An author who possesses sound judgment and a competitive nature can steer to passage a bill that in less talented hands would not pass.  Consequently, proponents give great care to selecting and recruiting the best possible legislative authors… like… drafting a quarterback… Quality makes a difference.”*
- Jack Davies

(more…)