Growing Returns

Selected tag(s): agriculture

Strong market signal for sustainable grain

By Katie Anderson / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: August 24, 2015

Walmart, Smithfield Foods and USDA discuss sustainable agriculture in St. Louis.

The agricultural supply chain is shifting towards demanding more sustainably produced grains, according to some of the country’s biggest food companies and retailers.

Representatives from Walmart, Smithfield Foods, and USDA recently discussed the importance of and increased consumer demand for agricultural sustainability in front of 100 agricultural retailers in St Louis. They were there for a meeting convened by United Suppliers, Inc., with a primary focus of the company’s SUSTAIN™ platform.

Three messages were clear:

Demand for more sustainable crops is here to stay.
Growers’ connection with the consumers of their products is increasing.
Fertilizer optimization and soil health offer a business opportunity for growers, ag retailers, and food companies alike.

Posted in Supply Chain / Also tagged Campbell Soup, Dr. Jerry Hatfield, fertilizer, Janelle Kearsley, Kraig Westerbeek, nitrogen, Smithfield Foods, soil health, St. Louis, SUSTAIN, sustainability, sustainable agriculture, United Suppliers, USDA, USDA-Agriculture Research Service, Walmart | Read 1 Response

3 ways drones can help take agriculture to new sustainability heights

By Stephanie Businelli / Published: August 19, 2015

A drone collects data while in flight. Photo credit

Drone technology has been around for decades, taking to the skies to capture movie sequences, collect scientific data and scout territory. But there’s another industry where drones are really beginning to take off: farming.

Agriculture is on tap to make up 80 percent of the market for unmanned aircrafts in the next couple of decades. With the invention of newer, more effective technologies, drones have the potential to launch the agriculture industry into a future of sustainability.

4 ways drones are helping people and nature prepare for climate change

Rules of the sky

In February of this year, the Federal Aviation Administration proposed long-awaited rules on the commercial use of small drones in the agricultural sector. The new regulations require operators to be certified, fly only during daylight and keep their aircraft in sight. Although this proposed legislation could take one or two years for final adoption, it marks a major step for the industry, as the guidelines provide the formal structure needed to legitimize drone use and advance the market for their production.

Although drone technology is still modifying production to increase ease of use and lower prices, these machines already have the potential to go a long way towards improving farmers’ bottom lines – and the environment. Here are three key benefits of drone use in agriculture: Read More »

Posted in Uncategorized / Also tagged algal bloom, california, cameras, crops, dead zones, drones, efficiency, Federal Aviation Administration, fertilizer, runoff, sustainability, sustainable agriculture, technology, vegetation, water quality, western water | Read 2 Responses

Cutting food waste to support farmers and the famished

By Peyton Johnson / Published: August 11, 2015

Surplus food at the Food Donation Connection. Photo Credit: USDA.

Food waste affects more than just our wallets. Approximately one-third of all food produced in the world gets thrown away every year, leading to 3.3 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions. At 2.6 trillion pounds, that’s enough sustenance to feed three billion people, or almost all people living in poverty worldwide today.

That’s why, last week, when I attended a Q&A session for ag interns at the U.S. Department of Agriculture with Secretary Tom Vilsack, I was intrigued when a fellow intern asked a question regarding food sustainability and what the U.S. can do to ensure that there will be enough food to feed the 9 billion people expected to populate the world by 2050.

The Secretary’s answer? Reduce food waste.

Posted in Supply Chain / Also tagged emissions, farm, farmers, feeding forward, food, food and agriculture organization of the united nations, food bank, food chain, food companies, food waste, greenhouse gas, grocery store, homeless shelter, poverty, produce, producers, secretary tom vilsack, supply chain, sustainability, sustainable, sustainable agriculture, teens opposing poverty, united states department of agriculture, USDA, waste no food | Read 1 Response

Grasslands protocol opens another carbon market for farmers

By Robert Parkhurst / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: August 10, 2015

Growers with grasslands on their property have a new reason to leave that land untouched.

On July 22, the Climate Action Reserve, a non-profit organization that creates offset standards and serves as one of the offset registries for California’s cap-and-trade program, approved a new protocol that rewards farmers for avoiding the conversion of grasslands to cropland.

The new “grasslands protocol” highlights a growing trend in agriculture: farmers being paid for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Read More »

Posted in Carbon Market / Also tagged American Carbon Registry, California Air Resources Board, cap and trade, carbon credit, Carbon Offsets, climate action reserve, environmental defense fund, farmers, fertilizer, grasslands protocol, greater sage-grouse, greenhouse gas emissions, lesser prairie-chicken, methane, ranchers | Read 1 Response

Taking the bloom and gloom out of Lake Erie

By Karen Chapman / Bio / Published: August 3, 2015

NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory .

Green algae in the Great Lakes. Photo credit: NOAA

It’s been one year since a massive algae bloom in Lake Erie contaminated the drinking water of more than 500,000 Ohio residents.

Since that time, we’ve seen an increase in legislative actions and governmental commitments to reduce fertilizer runoff. Yet the harmful algae that showed up last summer have bloomed again. This summer’s catastrophic rains have caused farm fields to flood, sending fertilizer into Lake Erie. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this year’s algae bloom could be the second largest on record.

Nutrient efficiency and soil health practices can create a powerful antidote to Lake Erie’s bloom and doom cycle. But farmers need more support and guidance in making changes on their farm. And they need to know that these practices won’t reduce yields.

That’s why an innovative platform called SUSTAIN™ is taking off. SUSTAIN provides agricultural retailers with training on the best tools and practices for reducing fertilizer runoff and increasing soil health – but also focuses on maintaining productivity. Earlier this summer, a group of central Ohio retailers became SUSTAIN authorized – and while it’s not a silver bullet, this effort has enormous potential to keep Lake Erie’s algae blooms at bay.

Read More »

Posted in Uncategorized / Also tagged algae, algae bloom, fertilizer, fertilizer pollution, Illinois, iowa, Lake Erie, Minnesota, missouri, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Nebraska, Novus Ag, Ohio, soil, soil health, SUSTAIN, United Suppliers, water quality, western water | Comments are closed

How cover crops can help growers beat droughts and floods

By Maggie Monast / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: July 22, 2015

Cover crops can include grasses like cereal rye.

Corn is trying to fight this summer’s extreme weather, and unfortunately, the weather is winning.

There are serious floods in the Midwest, devastating droughts in California, and brutal heat waves along the eastern seaboard. Ohio for example had a record June rainfall of 11 inches, which stunted corn roots and prevented many growers from planting any corn crops. In Northwest Ohio alone, 100,000 acres were left unplanted. At the same time, places in my home state of North Carolina experienced a June heat wave during the critical corn pollination period, significantly damaging corn yields.

These extreme weather events leave many farmers searching for ways to make the best of a challenging growing season. Although June’s weather was the opposite in Ohio and North Carolina, cover crops offer a proven solution to deal with both conditions. Read More »

Posted in Uncategorized / Also tagged California agriculture, California drought, cash crop, climate change, conservation, Conservation Technology Information Center, corn, cover crop, crops, drought, ecosystems, farm, farmer, fertilizer, flood, food, nitrogen, North Carolina, nutrient, Ohio, pollination, soil, Soil Health Partnership, soy, soybean, soybeans, SUSTAIN, sustainable, sustainable agriculture, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, sustainable grain, United Suppliers MB Gro Program, water use, western water, yields | Comments are closed

Note to Congress: Pitting fish against farms won’t solve California’s drought

By Ann Hayden / Bio / Published: July 15, 2015

(Updated July 16, 2015)

A bill to supposedly address California’s devastating drought, authored by Rep. David Valadao, cleared the House of Representatives today.

Unfortunately, this proposal – dubiously named the Western Water and American Food Security Act of 2015 – is yet another attempt to move more water through California’s vast Central Valley Project at a time when we can least afford it and at the expense of many water users.

Among other problems, the bill would permanently undermine science-based protections and regulatory assurances for at-risk species and ecosystems that are essential in providing reliable food, safe drinking water, and jobs to millions of Americans.

The proposed tradeoffs here are nothing new. Similar bills – H.R. 3964 and 5781 in 2014, both opposed by the White House and the State of California – also pitted fish against farms.

It’s time we move away from finger pointing and start finding collaborative solutions to the drought that increase the resiliency of our freshwater ecosystems while supporting agricultural communities in California’s Central Valley. Read More »

Posted in Climate Resilience / Also tagged american food security act, bill, california, California drought, capitol, capitol hill, central valley, central valley project, Climate, climate change, Congress, conservation, drinking water, drought, farm, farmer, fish, food, groundwater, groundwater management, Kenneth Baerenklau, law, legislature, sustainable, sustainable groundwater management act, UC Davis, UC Riverside, University of California, water allocations, water market, water use, western water, White House | Comments are closed

More reasons to embrace food sustainability

By Suzy Friedman / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: July 13, 2015

Credit: Flickr user Ruben Holthuijsen

There is no shortage of news about the contamination of drinking water sources caused by fertilizer run-off from agriculture. And there is no shortage of regulatory responses to these events: Ohio and Michigan’s commitment to reduce phosphorus levels in Lake Erie by 40 percent; the nitrate lawsuit in Des Moines, Iowa, and Monday’s ruling on the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to enforce total maximum daily load specifications for the Chesapeake Bay.

In addition, food companies wanting to source sustainably grown grains to meet that consumer demand and reduce their own supply chain risks are sending the same signal, further shining the spotlight on the growing demand for improved environmental outcomes from how we produce food.

If farmers can help meet these demands by being increasingly efficient with nutrients and protecting their soils, they will see nearer term benefits and possibly stem future regulations. Here’s why:

Posted in Supply Chain / Also tagged Des Moines, EPA, farmers, farms, fertilizer, food production, Lake Erie, nutrient efficiency, regulation, soil health, SUSTAIN, sustainability, sustainable agriculture, United Suppliers | Comments are closed

What a visit with a California citrus grower taught me about agricultural sustainability

By Sara Kroopf / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: July 6, 2015

EDF’s Sara Kroopf smells the soil at a citrus nursery in Arvin, California.

Putting yourself in the boots of a California farmer will give you a whole new perspective.

That’s why I recently spent a few days alongside Matt Fisher, a citrus grower in Kern County, California – to better understand growers’ challenges and concerns, and to rethink how environmental groups and farmers can achieve shared goals.

The experience was part of a farm exchange program offered through the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation, which facilitates learning opportunities on California farms.

With a record-breaking drought in California, tensions between environmentalists and farmers run high, and finger pointing is everywhere. But that isn’t getting us anywhere. The time I spent on Matt’s farm gave me new inspiration to break down barriers, put aside stereotypes, and work together. Read More »

Posted in Uncategorized / Also tagged california, California Agricultural Leadership Foundation, California agriculture, conservation, crop, drought, environment, erosion, farm, farmer, fertilizer, food, grower, Kern County, natural resources, Oakland, oranges, soil, sustainable, sustainable agriculture, water use, western water | Comments are closed

Bridging the gap of skepticism between producers and environmental groups

By Peyton Johnson / Published: June 29, 2015

Peyton Johnson, communications intern at EDF, with her mother, Kay Johnson Smith.

Producers and environmental groups haven’t always been the best of friends. That’s why, when I got an internship this summer with Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), my mom was more than a little uneasy.

My mom, Kay Johnson Smith, is president and CEO of the Animal Agriculture Alliance, a non-profit group that supports producers and promotes better consumer understanding of modern animal agriculture.

After learning more about EDF, my mom eventually came around to the idea of my working for a conservation organization. That’s because I shared with her EDF’s mission and explained that the organization works with producers to meet the growing demands for food in ways that also improve the environment. I’m happy to say that she now is pleased to see me working to bridge the gap of skepticism between producers and environmental groups.

As part of EDF’s effort to work with diverse partners and to share their voices, I asked my mom to share what motivates her work and her vision on the role of sustainability in U.S. agriculture. Read More »

Posted in Uncategorized / Also tagged animal agriculture alliance, consumer, cooper farms, environment, environmental defense fund, fair oaks farm, farm, farmer, food production, growing population, kay johnson, kay johnson smith, producers, rancher, Smithfield Foods, sustainable agriculture | Read 4 Responses