At the Climate Land Leaders Initiative, we treat each other with respect. That respect is key as we work toward our vision that plant, animal, and human communities thrive through our land stewardship. Respecting each other involves civility, and without civility in our organization – and in our communities and our nation – we descend into cruelty, fear, and hatred. Read More →
We have been hearing from our network of land stewards as we continue to witness acts of cruelty and violations of civil rights in the Twin Cities, where our organization is based and where a surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents has made it unsafe for neighbors to move through daily life. In this moment of collective grief, Climate Land Leaders are reflecting on how land stewardship and care for one another intersect in times of crisis. Read More →
On a piece of Illinois farmland dominated by corn and soy for the past century, a different kind of agriculture is taking root. Zumwalt Acres is a regenerative agriculture community committed to developing a model of land stewardship that is ecologically sustainable and socially responsible, rooted in Jewish values. Read More →
From a silvopasture poultry operation, to strip-tilled vegetables grown in a multiyear crop rotation between rows of hybrid hazelnuts, to sustainable forest management, Climate Land Leader Jim Chamberlin shares about the integrated systems that increase climate resilience on his farm, anchored by his observation that “nature is abundant.” Read More →
On October 23, 2025, Ruth Rabinowitz received the Farmland Owner Legacy Award from Practical Farmers of Iowa. Reprinted below are her remarks from that ceremony. I want to take a moment to ground us and acknowledge we are in the unceded territory of Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Osage Nation, Sac & Fox… Read More →
This fall, the Climate Land Leaders Initiative decided to have a Silent Auction, and Gail Hickenbottom promptly stepped up with a donation of a meat bundle from Joia Food Farm. That was Gail: Generous and reliable. Reliability is an under-rated trait, but really there is no greater gift. Gail showed up. You could count on… Read More →
People drawn to Climate Land Leaders ask how their land stewardship can be a climate solution, most often from a carbon perspective. To explore this question from another, complementary perspective, Sally Lasser and Chris Foster, two Illinois Climate Land Leaders, were joined by Dr. Katie Ross at Sally’s R Wildflower Farm & Fields this August to learn about regenerating local rain cycles which in turn cool local climates. Read More →
For Climate Land Leaders board member Rozina Kanchwala, “Hot (Farm) Girl Summer” means sweltering days in the field picking 200-foot rows of beans and a deepening understanding of how diversified organic farms support a more just and sustainable future. In her guest blog, Rozina connects the abundance she experiences on a small organic farm with the injustice of global food insecurity, and shares what this season is teaching her about climate change, resilience, and compassion. Read More →
A few years ago, I inherited farmland and – 133 years after my ancestor purchased it – I let it go. All that my ancestors taught me lives in me and not in that particular patch of the Earth. Read More →
I have always known that I wanted to continue our family farming legacy. Life on our diverse, intergenerational farm profoundly shaped who I am, my values, and my understanding of the interconnectedness of life. Read More →
