Welcoming Wednesday Webinar #4: Land Access, May 28, 2025
- Kriss Marion
- Jun 22
- 3 min read
Join Minnesota Women in Conservation (MNWiC) for a Welcoming Wednesday Webinar! These interactive Zooms are intended to provide relevant and actionable information about land and water stewardship, while also connecting like-minded women over lunch hour conversations. They recur on the fourth week each month.
May 28, 2025 Topic: Land Access - Transfer, Preservation, and Conservation
Webinar Host: Burke Murphy, MNWiC State Wide Coordinator
Conservation Professionals:
Bonnie Warndahl, Farm Land Access & Transfer Program Manager with Renewing the Countryside
Laura Cullip, Land Access Navigator with Renewing the Countryside
Bonnie Warndahl is a passionate nature enthusiast and advocate for sustainability and resilient local food systems. Before taking her current position at Renewing the Countryside (RTC) as Farmland Access and Transfer Specialist, Bonnie operated a cut flower farm, agritourism, and floral design business in Colfax, Wisconsin, for almost a decade. Her personal experience in overcoming the challenges of acquiring land tenure equipped her with a valuable first-hand perspective of Farmland Access and Transfer issues, which aids in guiding her clients toward success.
Laura Cullip co-owns and operates Loon Organics, a diversified organic vegetable farm in Hutchinson. Laura got her start working on organic farms around the U.S. and Brazil before starting Loon Organics with her partner, Adam, in 2005, on one acre of rented land. After four years of renting land, Laura and Adam were able to purchase their 40-acre farm in Hutchinson and begin farming fulltime. She is passionate about helping others get access to land as well.
Links to Resources Shared in the Webinar:
https://farmland.org/women-for-the-land - The future of agriculture is increasingly female.
https://farmlandinfo.org/publications... The Farmland Access Hub is a consortium of partners including non-profits, government agencies, local companies, and private citizens dedicated to assisting beginning farmers with their quest for land tenure. - In Iowa, MN, WI
https://www.farmlandaccesshub.org/ Karen Stettler, Land Access & Farm Beginnings Organizer, Programs Department, Email: stettler@landstewardshipproject.org
Laura Cullip Title: Navigator, Farmland Access Email: laura@rtcinfo.org
Jenny Heck : Finance & Budget 651-201-6316 Jenny.Heck@state.mn.us
https://www.mda.state.mn.us/business-... - More info on Down Payment Assistance
https://www.compeer.com/ - a note that compeer does not cover all of MN
Rural Finance Authority https://www.mda.state.mn.us/financebu...
Farmland Access Navigator intake form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...
FSA micro loan for direct farm ownership: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/resources/fa...
Legal Resources : https://farmcommons.org/
MDA info on zoning, taxes and policy: https://www.mda.state.mn.us/environme...
About Minnesota Women in Conservation
Minnesota Women in Conservation (MNWiC) is a project of Renewing the Countryside in partnership with the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). MNWiC's mission is to engage women in conservation conversations, connecting them with the tools and resources needed to develop their own goals. We facilitate Regional Networks to help all women of every experience level to learn and to implement practices in their own spaces, both urban both rural. We are here to nurture land and community. Join us!
Intake Form for Landowners who want to sell to farmers: https://www.farmlandaccesshub.org/lan...
Intake form for farmers looking for land: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...
Disclaimer
While the MNWiC project strives to make the information provided to individuals as timely and accurate as possible, we make no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the content of our webinars. The information presented is solely the speakers’ expressed views and MNWiC expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in content.
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