Midwest Row Crop Collaborative

Key takeaways from Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food's podcast with guest Stefania Avanzini of OP2B : 🌱 Invest in markets creating demand for alternative crops to support crop diversification. 🌱 Invest in farmers and allow them to make more choices on their own farms. 🌱 A holistic approach to agriculture includes landscape scale, health impacts, environmental changes, water quality and quantity, and land stewardship. 📣 We appreciate the mention of MRCC as a positive example in the U.S. of a collaborative moving from an individual to a collective mindset with different actors in the value chain. Available on YouTube, Google, Apple, and Spotify. #regenerative #collaborative #agriculture

Last week MRCC members Nutrien Ag Solutions, American Farmland Trust, and Kellanova took to the stage at Transform Food & Agriculture to highlight the value of trusting partnerships, the essential steps to consider when supporting farm viability, and the benefits of an ecosystem approach to complex sustainability challenges - all of which require taking risk, working together, and being creative. We were happy to join many collaborators and partners for focused conversations on ways to drive change.

Reflecting on my time last week at the Reuters Events Tranform Food & Agriculture Conference. While there is still so much to do it was inspiring to see how many of Nutrien Ag Solutions’ Sustainable Ag partners were in attendance like Bunge, Midwest Row Crop Collaborative, and U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action just to name a few. Guess I should stop calling our work the “best kept secret in sustainability” since more and more are seeing the progress and the results we are making in emissions reductions and practice adoption. Collaboration and partnership were repeated over and over but how do we make that more than words? How do we take the same engagement and willingness displayed in that room to the market and to our customers? How do we continue to show the business that sustainability is as critical as any other commercial objective? Let’s not let perfect get in the way of progress and give permission to misstep with good intent in pursuit of the larger goal. Great conversations with a lot of new potential collaborators who have a “passion for progress”. Some of our businesses may be competitors in the market but “sustainability is not a market advantage”. The only ONE who stands to win if we get this right is US… #uniquelynutrien #transformfood #reuters #sustaianbleag #passionforprogress

As climate challenges grow, the Midwest Row Crop Collaborative (MRCC) is leading efforts to advance regenerative agriculture. Our 2023 Impact Report highlights key investments in innovative partnerships, crop diversification, biofuels learning, and policy advocacy. See how we are testing new ways to engage in agricultural practices that benefit the environment and enhance long-term economic viability and rural vitality: https://ow.ly/cXev50TwKRb

MRCC member World Wildlife Fund recently launched The Great Food Puzzle, which emphasizes transforming food systems to better protect the environment with tailored local solutions. The series allows countries with similar socioeconomic and environmental factors to learn from each other and emulate one another's successes in redirecting agri-food subsidies, making the best of use of land, and establishing nature-positive supply chains. Learn more: https://ow.ly/Uz1W50TrX1X

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