Stewardship Roots 40 Stories for 40 Years

LSP Book Spotlights the Power of People Speaking Up, Speaking Out

From its inception in 1982, the Land Stewardship Project has been rooted in the idea that if we are to create the kind of farm and food system that benefits the land and community, people need to be heard. And one way for them to be heard is by sharing their own stories about why the land, water, and soil, along with their neighbors, are so important. Since the organization was founded by two former journalists — Ron Kroese and Victor Ray — perhaps it’s not surprising that storytelling plays a key role in this organization’s efforts to “promote the best and fight the worst.”

From the Book...

“There were so many powerful days. I met so many people that I consider friends throughout the United States. I just love you guys. I just felt like we’re all family, you know. You were there and I could call. It probably saved me from going insane.”

— Julie Jansen

It hasn’t always been easy to make those voices heard — they threaten to be drowned out by the well-funded cacophony generated by Big Ag and its allies in government. But LSP’s history is full of examples of our organizers helping members tell their stories in local township meetings, through the media, and in state and federal legislative committee hearings. Our members also make themselves heard whenever they host a field day, ask a question at a workshop or community meeting, or share a cup of coffee at the kitchen table.

Because of the key role storytelling plays in this organization’s history, in 2022 we chose to collect a few of these tales to mark our 40th year of working to keep the land and people together. Some of these stories come out of organizing campaigns, others are simply “aha moments” people had as a result of a meeting, participation in a cohort, or informal interaction they had with other LSP members.

The stories included in Making Change from the Ground Up: 40 Stories for 40 Years of Land Stewardship Project are in no way meant to represent a comprehensive history of LSP. They are simply 40 snapshots from 40 years of work. However, we hope that reading these stories provides people with a sense of how and why LSP does what it does. We also hope that they help inspire 40 more years of working for positive change in our farm and food system — work that will certainly generate even more powerful stories. p

“I’ve seen how LSP, instead of telling people, helped people and continues to help people hear their own voices and listen to each other. I think that’s one of the essential things that’s overlooked, and it takes time. It takes time to listen to each other.”

— Bonita Underbakke

What we do matters, and there will always be a ripple effect. I would like to thank LSP for their leadership influence because their ripple effect is truly endless.

— Tom Cotter

“I remember we had an LSP meeting on frac sand mining, and an organizer said, ‘Raise your hand if you think this is something Land Stewardship should be involved in.’ And I remember raising both my arms.”

Order Your Copy Today

Ma king C hange from the Ground Up: 40 Stories for 40 Years of Land Stewardship Project can be ordered at landstewardshipproject.org/shop or by calling 612-722-6377. The price is $40, plus shipping and handling.

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— Barb Nelson