HUMESTON — With an increased demand for land and water resources, farmers in southern Iowa know all too well the value of nutrient-rich and environmentally sound acreage.
With this idea in mind, South Central Cooperative has set out to show the impact of sustainability and to help farmers tell their own stories at one of the world’s most famous bike rides.
During the week of July 24-30, South Central Cooperative is hosting a one-day oasis site during RAGBRAI 2016 as a part of Land O’Lakes, Inc.’s Thanks2Farmers initiative.
A total of 87,500 farms with 30.5 million acres encompass the state of Iowa. Seeing a need to bring awareness to both the agricultural industry and those behind it, South Central Cooperative and Land O’Lakes are proud to partner for this weeklong event.
“Agriculture touches almost every aspect of what goes on the dinner table at any given time. We believe in giving thanks to the farmers who make this happen,” said Brent Hall, agronomy manager for South Central Cooperative.
At the heart of this week will be the opportunity for RAGBRAI riders and local audiences to follow along with the initiative on social media. Users are encouraged to post pictures and publicly thank farmers over their social media channels using #Thanks2Farmers.
More than 8,500 official riders and upwards of 20,000 daily riders will also have the opportunity to visit with local Iowa farmers and gain more insights into their stories, as well as South Central Cooperative’s SUSTAIN platform, while refreshing and refueling for the many miles ahead.
Since its beginning, South Central Cooperative’s SUSTAIN platform has helped a growing number of farmers use modern technology to track data and implement fertility practices that will lead to reduced runoff, new management strategies and increased yields with added profits.
“We are trying to lessen our impact on the environment without compromising our yields and profits. We are seeing higher yields with reduced nitrogen all while helping the environment. This has been one of the most rewarding parts of being a part of this program,” Hall said.
As a farmer, Randy Miller sees the impact SUSTAIN is making on his operation.
“By split applying our nitrogen, we don’t have to put as much on the fields at one time and can apply nitrogen when we actually need it,” Miller said. “With the SUSTAIN program, we can manage our nitrogen for our particular soil, while before we were basing rates on last year’s yield numbers and outside research.”
To learn more about South Central Cooperative and Land O’Lakes’ Thanks2Farmers initiative, follow #Thanks2Farmers on social media during the week of July 24 -30.