Precision Conservation Management

Going to the Regenerative Agriculture Summit NA this week in Chicago? Join us for a panel discussion USFRA is moderating: “Bridging the Gap: Lessons from On-Farm Conservation Programs from Across the U.S.” See you there. Farmers for Sustainable Food, Precision Conservation Management, IL Corn, Nutrien, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Kevin Burkum, Laura Gentry, Sally Flis, Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative

Last week in Chicago, we brought together sustainability professionals from 40+ companies across the global food and beverage supply chain. This was our fourth State of Sustainability Food & Bev Summit—and possibly the best yet. There were so many highlights. Here’s my rapid rundown for those who couldn't make it: ?? We kicked off the day with a deep dive into Product Carbon Footprints (PCFs). We started from the customer's perspective and worked our way back to packaging. We couldn’t have asked for better panellists than Erin Augustine (Oatly), Katelyn Boisvert (Amcor), and Alex Winters (Ardagh Group Glass), who shared insights on how PCFs are changing sustainability communication across the value chain. ?? Jamie Dujardin (Altruistiq) discussed the evolution of PCFs and showcased our grant-funded work with Unilever, PACT (Partnership for Carbon Transparency), and Digital Catapult on PCF data structures. PACT members should keep an eye on these developments, which are especially relevant for company-supplier engagement. ?? On the key topic of supply chain engagement, we had the pleasure of hearing from Catherine Rueppel (The Coca-Cola Company) and Autumn Fox (Mars) both real thought leaders running global, data-driven programs at scale. ?? Farmers are crucial to food system transformation. That’s why we felt the need to dedicate two sessions to this: one with Adam Henkel, a seventh-generation Illinois farmer, discussing how to identify the transition’s business value and work with brands to make sustainability scale, and another with Marc Rakoczy (Suntory Global Spirits) and Greg Goodwin (IL Corn), explaining how to facilitate the transition at input level and sharing insights on their inspiring collaboration on corn. ?? No conversation on agriculture (or sustainability) would or should be complete without talking about water. David Spitzley (Starbucks) shared his expertise on water strategy, measurement, and data - an area clearly needing more innovation. ?? On the other hand, packaging innovation is moving quickly. Mackenzie H. Crigger, Ph.D. (International Paper) and Bethany Jones (Altruistiq) closed our formal sessions with a discussion on packaging collaborations, covering important topics such as pitching innovation as a supplier and catalysing it as a brand. While this covers the main sessions, it sadly can’t do justice to the networking, the side conversations, and the discussions that took place in our break-out groups. A huge thank you to all our brilliant speakers and attendees. Your insights, questions and collaborative spirit made this event truly special. If you couldn't make it this time, we hope to see you at future events. I'm already looking forward to the EU edition of this event later in the year.

PCM is expanding into north-central Missouri, and we're looking for a Conservation Specialist to join our team! #hiring The PCM Specialist will work to educate farmers in the region about #conservation practices and connect them to cost-share opportunities. This person will be responsible for helping farmers within a 90-mile radius centered on Macon, Missouri secure financial and technical assistance to adopt conservation practices and/or expand their use of conservation practices. Learn more and apply here:

Happy #NationalAgDay! ? Thank you, farmers, for the work you do every day to feed, clothe, and power our nation. We are grateful to be able to support farmers on their #conservation journeys and work with the full agriculture value chain to reach our shared resiliency goals. We'd like to extend a special thank you to our grower members: American Farm Bureau Federation, American Peanut Council, American Soybean Association, Arkansas Farm Bureau, Cotton Incorporated, Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative , Farmers for Sustainable Food, Federation of Southern Cooperatives, Precision Conservation Management, Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, Intertribal Agriculture Council, Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance, Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission, Minnesota Farmers Union, National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG), NATIONAL BARLEY GROWERS ASSOCIATION, National Black Growers Council, National Corn Growers Association, National Cotton Council of America, National Farmers Union (USA), National Sorghum Producers, Nebraska Corn Board, Practical Farmers of Iowa, Producers1 Agriculture Group and Sustainable Solutions, Rural Investment to Protect our Environment (RIPE), U.S. Canola Association, U.S. Grains Council, U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), United Soybean Board, USA Pulses, and USA Rice Federation #regenerativeagriculture #resiliency

“Dirk has been an instrumental figure in the development and success of Precision Conservation Management, demonstrating unwavering commitment to advancing sustainable agricultural practices in Illinois,” notes Greg Goodwin, Director of PCM. Congratulations to Dirk Rice on being named a 2025 Prairie Farmer Master Farmer! Well deserved. https://lnkd.in/gkB4tE9W #masterfarmer #conservationagriculture

We are so proud to see some familiar faces being recognized as Master Farmers! Congratulations to Dirk Rice and Rodney Weinzierl! Dirk Rice and his wife, Lynn, live near Philo, Ill. They farm corn and soybeans with their son, Matt. Dirk helped create Precision Conservation Management during his time on the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, and continues to be involved today. Prairie Farmer has also named a new Honorary Master Farmer this year: Rodney Weinzierl. Weinzierl has led IL Corn as its executive director for 32 years, and played a major role in the creation of PCM. Weinzierl is one of only 18 Honorary Master Farmers to have been named by the magazine. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gmKpbuZD

Farmers - act fast!! IL Corn and Illinois Department of Agriculture received a special allocation of EQIP funding. Farmers must apply with their local NRCS office by FRIDAY FEBRUARY 28th! These funds aim to address the Dust Storms and Nutrient Loss Reduction Efforts. Ranking for these funds will be elevated if your farm is in either the defined Dustr Storm Region or a priority nitrogen or phosphorus watershed. Your local NRCS offices have the specific maps of these areas. Priority practices are #covercrops and no-till/strip-till. Contact your local NRCS office today to ask about Topsoil Conservation and Nutrient Loss Reduction funds! #conservationfunding

Watch the replay of our farmdoc daily webinar as we show farmers how PCM can help enhance farm profitability through #conservation and data-driven decision-making. PCM, a program of IL Corn, provides: ? 1-on-1 technical support from PCM specialists ? Custom farm benchmarking reports to compare financial and environmental performance ? Access to conservation funding & incentives for cover crops, no-till, and nitrogen reduction ? Exclusive cost-share opportunities and conservation agronomy resources ? Peer-to-peer learning and networking with other farmers ?? PCM helps farmers reduce nutrient loss, increase efficiency, and unlock conservation funding—all while keeping farm finances top of mind. Stay tuned for more webinars diving into PCM data findings in 2025! #ConservationFarming #FarmProfitability #CoverCrops #NoTill #NitrogenReduction #SustainableAg https://lnkd.in/gKuj3Xht

Our 2025 webinar series kicks off on February 4th! Register here: https://bit.ly/3EhsemU We’ll start with PCM Director Greg Goodwin sharing how PCM combines data analysis, technical assistance, and cost-share incentives to help farmers improve profitability and environmental impacts that affect future regulation. Discover PCM’s history, explore key insights from its decade-long database, and see how its programs can benefit your operation. Whether you're new to PCM or looking to deepen your understanding, this webinar will provide the foundation you need to start making data-driven decisions for your farm. IL Corn farmdoc daily

Our 2025 webinar series kicks off on February 4th! Register here: https://bit.ly/3EhsemU We’ll start with PCM Director Greg Goodwin sharing how PCM combines data analysis, technical assistance, and cost-share incentives to help farmers improve profitability and environmental impacts that affect future regulation. Discover PCM’s history, explore key insights from its decade-long database, and see how its programs can benefit your operation. Whether you're new to PCM or looking to deepen your understanding, this webinar will provide the foundation you need to start making data-driven decisions for your farm. IL Corn farmdoc daily