Co-op Partnership to Bolster Conservation Expertise to Producers

Forging a new path for accelerating and scaling agricultural conservation is at the heart of a new public-private partnership announced today by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Truterra, LLC, the sustainability business at Land O’Lakes, Inc., one of America’s largest farmer-owned cooperatives.

This new partnership will support conservation specialists deployed alongside agricultural retailers, who serve as farmers’ most-trusted advisors, to build knowledge and capacity in order to support conservation practices around the country.

NFWF和Truterra领导人表示，这项新的系统诉求是为了推动私营部门提供农场管理，将使农民及其农业零售商受益，同时还可以补充NRCS保护计划和现场办公室。Truterra和NFWF将于2020年扩大该保护专家和农业零售商网络，其目标是建立这些专家的国家网络，以改善农民的客户服务。

Truterra，LLC副总裁Jason Weller说：“当他们需要建议，资源或支持时，农民转向他们最值得信赖的顾问，当地的农业零售商。”“ AG零售商具有深厚的专业知识，可以向农民提供有关农作物生产成功的建议，并将这些保护专家整合到农艺服务中，这是一种令人兴奋的方式，可以将农民与管理机会联系起来，以改善土壤健康和养分管理。”

国家鱼类和野生动物基金会执行董事兼首席执行官杰夫·特兰达尔（Jeff Trandahl）说：“农民是他们土地的难以置信的管家，而增强的私营部门参与是我们必须采取的基于合作伙伴关系的方法来支持农民的土地管理。”“这项合作是一种新模式，它将通过将公私参与汇集起来，以增强零售顾问的能力，从而为农民的保护工作提供真正的推动。”

Truterra和NFWF确定了两个初始状态 - 爱荷华州和俄亥俄州 - - 在一系列地理位置中“实地测试”。通过NFWF筹款活动匹配的农业零售商Heartland Co-Op（爱荷华州）和Heritage合作社（俄亥俄州）的初步投资正在为三个飞行员职位​​提供资金。飞行员资助的保护专家将：

• Serve as dedicated in-house conservation specialists, co-located with ag retailers, training agronomists on how to include conservation practices in day-to-day services to farmers;
• Provide farmer outreach and lead training sessions with farmers and landowners;
• Connect local ag retailers and their customers with state and local conservation partners, including USDA NRCS and local Soil & Water Conservation District offices;
• Serve as experts on federal programs included in the Conservation Title of the Farm Bill.

“We see every day how our farmers strive to be good stewards, and when they turn to us for support, we want to provide the world-class service and expertise they’ve come to know us for,” said Greg Spears, COO of Heritage Cooperative. “Our local business, and ag retailers across America, are interested in bolstering their conservation expertise because it’s another way to add value at the farm gate. The private sector can engage in new ways when it comes to on-farm conservation, and we’re excited to be part of this opportunity.”

“ Heartland合作社很荣幸能成为这项努力的合伙人，为农场带来更多的保护资源，” Heartland合作社销售和营销副总裁Dave Coppess说。“作为中西部的AG零售商，以及长期参与水质改善和保护惯例，我们可以证明我们的农艺师带给我们的农民带来的积极影响力并导致。Truterra，LLC已经建立了用于收集，分析和提供环境解决方案的工具。我们的农民期望的知识和专业知识启动保护农艺师将使我们能够为该个人生产者的特定需求和情况定位正确的可持续性实践。我们很高兴成为一名飞行员的一部分，该飞行员提供了一个独特的机会来测试新策略。”