Midwest Row Crop Collaborative

An important and exciting opportunity for MRCC member Environmental Defense Fund. The leadership from this team of partners convened to discuss advancing financing climate solutions and systems change in agriculture will benefit all.

Last year, we worked with Farm Journal's Trust In Food™ to understand the behaviors, barriers, attitudes, and core values of farmers across our supply shed. We then used that data to shape our conservation outreach and engagement strategy, which is now published as a case study on https://ow.ly/FfBz50SXacb. Thank you to Fast Company for highlighting our work, and congratulations to Farm Journal for making the list of the world’s Most Innovative Companies for 2024. https://ow.ly/OaX650SXaca

Small food and farm businesses or nonprofit organizations in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and NE Arkansas are encouraged to register and tune in on Aug. 28 to hear more about a powerful funding opportunity. The funding opportunity is aimed at starting or expanding food businesses for: - Value-added opportunities. - Diversification of on-farm activities. - Expansion of and access to new markets. - Innovations to generate income. The awards will provide food and farm businesses with capital to launch and expand businesses while building income streams or identifying investors. The Heartland Center is building food supply chain resilience through development support for small, mid-size, and diverse food and farm businesses. Application deadline - Oct. 15, 2024. More information >> https://lnkd.in/gjuiZ4mB

Cover crops are a practical solution to managing washed out farm fields in the wake of natural disaster. In this article, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig discussed their benefits, including reducing erosion, enhancing soil health, improving water quality, and providing valuable feed and forage for livestock. https://ow.ly/MNBQ50SWZB2

Exciting news from MRCC member PepsiCo! The company launched a transformative Planting Pathways Initiative, aiming to expand agricultural opportunities for young and underrepresented farmers. This initiative, backed by partnerships with leaders including Practical Farmers of Iowa, is set to drive sustainable and systemic change in the industry.   The initiative aligns with Midwest Row Crop Collaborative's "Agricultural Network Engagement" pathway, which focuses on identifying and demonstrating strategies designed to support broad adoption of sustainable practices through trusted networks. By providing robust networks, training, and capital to new farmers, a new generation will thrive in sustainable agriculture.   Together, we are committed to creating a resilient and inclusive agricultural supply chain, ensuring healthy soils, and vibrant communities.   #FutureFarming #MRCC #RegenerativeAgriculture #Sustainability

We’re excited to announce the next phase of our groundbreaking project to accelerate the adoption of conservation agriculture practices in partnership with Environmental Initiative and Trust In Food™. By understanding the unique hurdles, motivations, and values of farmers, we aim to support organizations in significantly increasing the uptake of regenerative practices. https://lnkd.in/dhsVSJXt

Last week, our Senior Partnership Manager, Jaycie Thomsen, was on a panel titled "Accelerating the transition to regenerative agriculture: Insights from different country contexts." The panel was a part of WWF-UK's Nature-based Solutions Accelerator workshop series, which helped collectively identify key challenges and opportunities related to transitioning to regenerative agriculture. Here are some of our takeaways: 👉 Collaborative Models Enhance Impact: MRCC, Earthworm Foundation FranceLiving Soils Initiative, and the National Trust all utilize models that engage and leverage co-investment from partners across the supply chain to catalyze impact. We have been able to achieve greater results and drive systemic change through collective action. 👉 Supporting Producers Through Transition: Long-term financial and technical support for producers transitioning to regenerative agriculture practices is critical to incentivize adoption and maintain these practices. These incentive structures can and should vary depending on the cultural, economic, and environmental context of the program. 👉 Patience is Key: Producers generally only have one shot per year to test a new practice and are unlikely to find the perfect solution immediately. We must remain steadfast in our commitments and investments during this transition period to support producers as they experiment and learn. https://ow.ly/fCnu50SileN

Our team facilitated an in-depth discussion with growers, focusing on effective communication and engagement strategies for supply chain members at June’s Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture plenary. We are developing workshops for organizations interested in learning more about the process we used and how it can be applied to develop producer-centered engagement on conservation.

Midwest Row Crop Collaborative member American Farmland Trust recently shared a story about the importance of creatively transferring the legacy of farming to others. A short drive south of our Minneapolis office, the Lor family now owns a farm after 20 years of renting. Land ownership will offer stability for their business and the conservation easement will allow farming to continue for generations to come. https://lnkd.in/dKSNRRZW

Producers continue to express concerns about financial and technical supports for cover cropping and other programs. Fortunately, the growth of no-till, cover crop, and other regenerative programs paired with financing from USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, innovative supports from organizations including Conservation Technology Information Center and Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, and investments from major companies, including PepsiCo and Walmart, are expanding the reach of regenerative agriculture practices. https://lnkd.in/gMBZMZm2