Twohig no stranger to Land Stewardship

Agri News
Thursday, October 30, 2003

Twohig no stranger to Land Stewardship

By Carol Stender
Agri News staff writer

MONTEVIDEO, Minn.-Cathy Twohig is no stranger to the Land Stewardship Project. Twohig, who became the western Minnesota LSP director earlier this month, has been a consultant on LSP's Farm Beginnings program. But her interest in LSP's ideals include that project and more.

"My heart is really with the organization," said Twohig. "I have a real commitment to the farmers and agriculture, and I want smaller farms to be successful and to be able to survive. And to be able to survive on another level-to develop a rural sustainability. I want to keep our rural areas growing."

Twohig takes over for Audrey Arner, who left the western LSP after 15 years. Twohig said she is impressed with projects Arner helped develop, including the local foods initiative, "Pride of the Prairie." She wants to expand that effort and involve schools, the West Central Research and Outreach Center's children's garden and the community.

"The message of local foods is to keep it in the hands of people out here so that everyone can enjoy it," she said. Twohig has roots in the country and city. She grew up on a Wisconsin dairy farm now operated by her brother. And she's experienced metropolitan life through her work at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities and at the University of Arizona in Phoenix.

"I think what I bring to this position is the combination of the two," she said. "I think that everyone's voice should be heard. I know people who are interested in what's happening to local foods. These are people who will continue to live and work in the Cities, but they want to buy local foods. Just because we live in different areas doesn't mean we can't respect and get to know each other more."

Twohig is a big supporter of collaboration and cooperation and envisions working with other organizations to build up the local foods efforts. Each year LSP and the university of Minnesota-Morris sponsor a local foods dinner for students and community leaders. A similar meal is offered to the general public and features locally grown beef, bison, chicken and lamb plus numerous vegetables and grains. The meal is scrumptious, she said. And, more importantly, it introduces producers and their locally grown foods to people in the area.

The western office has received a $127,000 USDA grant to promote the local foods initiative. But Twohig knows that it's only one of several LSP programs.

"LSP is a very grassroots-based organization, and we are doing many things from farm programs to the Pride of the Prairie local foods initiative," she said. "We have offices in different parts of the state... Yet we all have the same mission."

Twohig often mentions her own farming experience and the importance of small farms to communities. She hopes she can help strengthen both through her work as the Montevideo office's director.

"It's more than a job and a position," she said. "It's here in my heart."