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Podcast: How to start a farm-level sustainability project
Dairy Stream dissects a first-of-its-kind framework that outlines a project-based approach to developing a farm-level sustainability project. Our host, Mike Austin, talks with Lauren Brey, managing director of Farmer for Sustainable Food, and Doug Thomas, senior project manager at Houston Engineering, the experts behind the national award-winning framework. Thank you to The Nature Conservancy in Wisconsin for sponsoring this podcast. This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.
*View the award-winning framework here: A Framework for Farm-Level Sustainability Projects
Framework, pilot project earn national dairy sustainability award for collaboration
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 14, 2021
Contact: Jamie Mara
(920) 209-3990 | jmara@farmersforsustainablefood.com
Framework, pilot project earn national
dairy sustainability award for collaboration
Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy recognizes supply chain partners in Wisconsin
GREEN BAY, Wis. — A group of Wisconsin farmers and partners in the dairy food supply chain are earning national praise for creating a framework for conservation projects that protect soil and water quality, keep farms financially viable and demonstrate a commitment to sustainability to communities, customers and regulators.
The first-of-its-kind framework and its use in a pilot project in southwestern Wisconsin were recognized today by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy with an “Outstanding Supply Chain Collaboration” award. The recipients — Farmers for Sustainable Food, Grande Cheese Company and Lafayette Ag Stewardship Alliance (LASA) — drove development of the project, and other key stakeholders are contributing to the initiative.
The Framework for Farm-Level Sustainability Projects is a handbook to help farmers determine what conservation practices are most useful for their individual farms, document the environmental and financial effects and showcase the value of sustainability throughout the supply chain.
“Customers want assurances that the food they buy is being produced in a way that’s sensitive to the environment,” said Lauren Brey, managing director of Farmers for Sustainable Food, a nonprofit organization of food system partners. “Demonstrating this starts at the farm but also has implications for businesses throughout the dairy supply chain. The widespread input and support for this project, both financially and through direct participation, is truly remarkable.”
Replicable design
The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy each year recognizes exceptional farms, businesses and partnerships for their socially responsible, economically viable and environmentally sound practices and technologies that have a broad and positive impact. The awards are judged by an independent panel of dairy and conservation experts who consider innovation, scalability and replicability when choosing winners.
The pilot project follows the model of a “milkshed,” which represents the farms and various businesses in a region that furnish dairy foods to customers. The framework is flexible in its design so it can be replicated for projects in other regions, and the partners are encouraging others to use it, at no cost.
Brey said interest already is growing for similar initiatives: one with an individual farm and on-site cheese plant in Wisconsin, one with another farmer-led watershed conservation group in the state and one with a dairy processor in South Dakota.
The pilot project, which involves 12 farms, including eight dairies, wrapped up its first year in 2020, collecting and analyzing farm data from the previous year. Brey expects that the results will be released in a report in July. Current funding for the assessment work will carry the project through 2022. Environmental consulting from Houston Engineering Inc. has been integral to the project.
Farmer commitment
Dairy farmer Jim Winn, president of the farmer-led nonprofit LASA, said the framework and pilot project are well suited for his proactive group, which was founded in 2017 to hone in on water quality issues in a geologically sensitive part of Wisconsin. LASA has 31 member livestock and crop farms, including 17 dairies. Winn’s farm is one of the dozen participants in the project.
“This effort builds on our members’ commitment to environmental stewardship, collaboration and transparency,” Winn said. “The framework gives us a tool to prove to ourselves, our neighbors and those who buy our products that there’s value in being innovative in the field.”
“Having our processor and others in the supply chain behind us, pulling in the same direction, is pretty powerful,” he said.
That’s where true success lies for sustainability, said Greg Siegenthaler, vice president of milk marketing and supply chain at Grande, an Italian cheese manufacturer in southeastern Wisconsin.
“As with this project, true sustainability efforts will only be realized if the work is done in partnership across our industry and throughout the supply chain,” Siegenthaler said. “In order to really move the needle and see ongoing success around sustainability, we must continue to engage all partners in the process, from farmer-led initiatives that result in greater results for both environmental sustainability and farm financial viability, to an ongoing commitment from processors and food manufacturers to engage in the conversation and partner on long-term solutions.”
Broad support
The Nature Conservancy, which closely supports farmer-led conservation projects in the state, helped author the framework.
“The work that LASA farmers have been doing since 2017 to implement soil health practices and track their outcomes shows that agriculture can be part of the solution to some of our biggest challenges, from water quality to climate change,” said Steve Richter, agriculture strategies director for The Nature Conservancy in Wisconsin. “Through this pilot project, they are building on those efforts to leverage their learning beyond their county to the rest of the state. We’re excited to support this collaborative effort to give more farmers the tools they need to protect our waters, capture carbon and keep their farms profitable.”
Nestlé, the world’s largest food and beverage company, is supporting the pilot project as part of its efforts to partner with farmers, suppliers and industry experts to reduce the carbon footprint on farms, an essential element of its strategy to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
“Dairy is one of Nestlé’s most important ingredients, and this project demonstrates how collaboration among partners across the supply chain — from farm to fork — can make a difference in creating a more sustainable dairy industry,” said Emily Johannes, senior manager for sustainable sourcing at Nestlé USA. “This farmer-led project shows great promise for protecting soil health and water quality while helping farmer livelihoods, which are all critically important priorities for Nestlé and the industry at large.”
A host of other groups and businesses also have embraced the initiative through direct participation or funding: Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America; Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin; GPS Dairy Consulting; Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy; Professional Dairy Producers Foundation; Reddy Ag Service/Ross Soil Services; Sally Mead Hands Foundation; Southwest Wisconsin Technical College; University of Wisconsin Extension; UW Center for Integrated Pest and Crop Management; Wisconsin Corn Growers Association; and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
Document
Framework for Farm-Level Sustainability Projects
Photos:
Winn and Siegenthaler in field at Cottonwood Dairy
Winn and Siegenthaler in barn at Cottonwood Dairy
Logos
Lafayette Ag Stewardship Alliance
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Framework for farm sustainability projects @FarmersForFood, Grande Cheese Company and @LafayetteAg draws national praise from Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy for supply chain partnership STORY LINK @NatureAg @Nestle @NestleUSA @ #FarmersForSustainableFood
About Farmers for Sustainable Food:
Farmers for Sustainable Food is a collaborative, industry-supported effort to promote and support farmer-led solutions to today’s environmental challenges. The nonprofit organization empowers farmers to develop and implement practical, innovative solutions for environmental, economic and social good. More information: www.FarmersForSustainableFood.com
About Grande Cheese Company:
Grande Cheese Company, located in southeastern Wisconsin, is a premier manufacturer of fine Italian cheeses for independent operators of pizzerias and Italian restaurants across the country. Since the company began in 1941, it has been committed to sourcing the highest quality milk in the market by way of highly dedicated producers committed to continuous improvement, innovation and reciprocal partnership. Grande believes that continuously sourcing the greatest milk supply and producing trademark quality cheese is possible only through the ongoing investment in its operations, the communities where they operate, and most importantly, its associates. More information: www.grande.com
About Lafayette Ag Stewardship Alliance:
Lafayette Ag Stewardship Alliance is a farmer-led non-profit organization with a vision of a community where farmers and friends of agriculture work together to protect and improve water quality and the environment. The group is based in Lafayette County in southwestern Wisconsin. More information: www.lafayetteagstewardship.org.
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Farmers for Sustainable Food marks transformation of conservation alliance
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 11, 2021
Contact: Jamie Mara
(920) 209-3990 | jmara@voiceofmilk.com
Farmers for Sustainable Food marks transformation of conservation alliance
Newly named group reaches next level in scope, innovation, partners
GREEN BAY, Wis. — An alliance created five years ago to support and promote farmers in their conservation efforts has reached a new level, with a broader focus, more innovative projects and an increasingly diverse set of partners.
Today, the group, formed in 2016 as the Dairy Strong Sustainability Alliance, announced its transformation into Farmers for Sustainable Food, a nonprofit organization that provides resources, advocacy, support and empowerment for farmers who are innovating and demonstrating sustainable farming practices.
“Our vision is a sustainable food system in which farmers, their communities and the environment thrive,” said Todd Doornink, president of Farmers for Sustainable Food and a dairy farmer in northwestern Wisconsin. “Our focus is on uniting stakeholders to collaborate across organizational lines, inspiring farmers to be leaders of change and empowering our partners to meet their goals.”
The Dairy Business Association and The Nature Conservancy originally organized the alliance in Wisconsin around the goal of helping dairy farmers make tangible improvements to the environment and other aspects of their farms. Since then, additional partners have come aboard representing various parts of the food supply chain, from individual farms and agricultural groups to food processors and food companies. And the group is facilitating greater opportunities to achieve environmental goals and promote progress in Wisconsin and elsewhere in the Upper Midwest.
“Our momentum has only increased,” said Lauren Brey, who serves as coordinator for Farmers for Sustainable Food.
“During the past year, especially, the organization’s work has become even more innovative, collaborative and widespread — for example, a number of projects aimed at measuring the impact of on-farm conservation practices. The work is growing beyond dairy and beyond Wisconsin as well, including with farmers and processors in Minnesota and South Dakota,” Brey said.
Steve Richter, agricultural strategies director at The Nature Conservancy in Wisconsin, said partnering five years ago with the now Farmers for Sustainable Food was a natural extension of his organization’s focus on projects at the farm level.
“Together, we have worked to support farmer-led watershed groups who are learning how to use and maximize the benefits of conservation practices, track their results and share what they learn with others,” Richter said.
“Farmers for Sustainable Food’s connections with stakeholders throughout the agriculture supply chain, their strong relationships with farmers, and their ability to create well-structured and well-run projects have complemented our efforts to provide science, technical support and funding to help farmers be successful,” he said.
Brey said Farmers for Sustainable Food closely supports six farmer-led watershed conservation groups encompassing 211 farms, nearly 300,000 acres and 212,000 cows, hogs and other livestock. That support ranges from administration and communication to strategic services and grant applications.
The organization and its partners are also developing on-farm initiatives to test ways of measuring sustainability and documenting the impact of conservation practices, both environmentally and financially.
Grande Cheese, a Wisconsin dairy processor, participates in that work, which reflects two of the company’s pillars of corporate responsibility — environmental awareness and business sustainability, said Greg Siegenthaler, Grande’s vice president of milk marketing and supply chain.
“It is important to Grande to be involved in these creative and progressive sustainability efforts,” Siegenthaler said. “We are proud of our partnership with Farmers for Sustainable Food and are committed to continuing to advance sustainability efforts across Wisconsin.”
Doornink, the group’s president, said a key strength of Farmers for Sustainable Food is the collective commitment throughout the supply chain.
“By working together, we open up resources and vastly expand our potential to make meaningful change,” Doornink said. “By being on the forefront of change, we can ensure a future that benefits the food system and our communities and ensures long-term prosperity.”
Images:
Farmers for Sustainable Food logo
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Newly named Farmers for Sustainable Food marks transformation for growing conservation alliance PRESS RELEASE LINK #FarmersForSustainableFood
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About Farmers for Sustainable Food:
Farmers for Sustainable Food is a collaborative, industry-supported effort to promote and support farmer-led solutions to today’s environmental challenges. The nonprofit organization empowers farmers to develop and implement practical, innovative solutions for environmental, economic and social good. More information: www.FarmersForSustainableFood.com
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