Carrie Volmer-Sanders farms with her husband and parents in Northeast Indiana/Northwest Ohio, and they have implemented cover crops on their farm for about 5 years now. Sanders works for The Nature Conservancy which is where she first heard about the project. “There are a couple of goals being a part of this. Some include sharing the information with local farmers …
Soil Health Stewardship Program Benefits Growers
While at the Soil Health Summit, David Brown, a farmer from Illinois, spoke with AgWired about his involvement in the Soil Health Partnership Stewardship Program. “We’re learning so much from it,” said Brown. “When the opportunity presented itself, I thought ‘we have to do this’. It’s a learning opportunity for us and if you don’t learn, you’re standing still.” Brown …
New Sustainability Initiative by @GROWMARK
One of the definitions of sustainable is “able to endure or continue for a long time” and that is the main characteristic that GROWMARK has chosen to focus on with a new system sustainability initiative. GROWMARK Executive Director of Agronomy Marketing Ron Milby says the initiative fits in with the cooperative’s overall goals. “Our mission statement is ‘To improve the …
A Thirsty Land Update
Early in 2015 documentary film maker Conrad Weaver got into the field to start his latest project, Thirsty Land. He has been in states from Kansas to California filming the drought situation and meeting with many farmers to learn about the effect the drought has been having on rural communities. This morning I spoke with Conrad to find out how …
Food Dialogues to Focus on Sustainability
The Food Dialogues®: Dairy Strong Farming; for the Future panel will tackle the concept of “sustainability” and all it’s different meanings for different people. The panel, hosted by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA), will take place at the Dairy Strong conference from 10:15 – 11:45 a.m. CT on Thursday, January 14, 2016 in Madison, Wis. and will be …
Requesting Submissions for Ag Day Essay Contest
The Agriculture Council of America (ACA) is inviting ninth- to 12th-grade students to take part in an essay contest about the importance of agriculture. Students may choose to write a 450 word essay or create a 2 minute video that showcases the theme: “Agriculture: Stewards of a Healthy Planet.” The deadline for submission is January 29, 2016. The contest provides …
Panel On Taking Cover Crops Mainstream at #ASTACSS
During a session on Taking Cover Crops Mainstream at the ASTA CSS/Seed Expo this week, a panel of representatives from across the industry spoke about their experiences with cover crops, the work they’ve done on either their farm or in their business, and the impact cover crops can have on soil health. Two growers who integrate cover crops on their …
Corn Growers Talk Sustainability at Climate Change Talks
American corn farmers were talking about just how sustainable U.S. agriculture is during the recent COP21 United Nations climate talks in Paris this week. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) says the group shared U.S. corn farmers’ perspectives on a wide array of sustainability and environmental issues. The event, hosted by Field to Market, Business for Social Responsibility and Pepsico, …
Farm & Food Partnerships – A New Paradigm
The topic was “The New Paradigm: Farm + Food Partnerships to Meet New Consumer Demand.” Our opening keynote speaker at the Agricultural Retailers Association Conference & Expo was Steve Peterson, Retired Director of Sourcing and Sustainability, General Mills. Steve actually just recently retired and is now farming full time on his farm in Minnesota. Steve told us that he has …
Sustainable Farmer Award Applications Sought
Bayer CropScience is seeking young agricultural producers that demonstrate leadership and excellence in the areas of business and environmental sustainability through the 2016 Young Farmer Sustainability Award. Any farmer or rancher age 40 and under who receives at least half of his or her income from farming and farm-related ventures is eligible to apply. Applications may be accessed and completed …