United Sorghum Checkoff Program Joins America’s Conservation Ag Movement
Lenexa, Kan., (March 9, 2021) — Trust In Food, a Farm Journal initiative, announced that United Sorghum Checkoff Program (Sorghum Checkoff) has joined America’s Conservation Ag Movement as its first Sustaining Level Partner.
Sorghum is water smart and climate resilient. Plus it offers sustainability attributes, including water savings; cover for wildlife habitats, such as pheasants and quail, and contributing nutrients and erosion reduction to the soil. Sorghum’s primary uses include food, feed and biofuel. It is traditionally grown throughout the “Sorghum Belt” from South Dakota to Southern Texas, primarily on dryland acres. Farmers planted 5.8 million acres and harvested 371 million bushels in 2020.
“Sorghum has an extraordinary sustainability story to tell,” said Amy Skoczlas Cole, executive vice president, Trust In Food. “We are proud to highlight the natural resource stewardship investments of America’s tens of thousands of sorghum farmers — and to share learnings that all U.S. farmers can apply, as they are on the path toward a more environmentally and economically resilient future.”
America’s Conservation Ag Movement brings farmers and the sustainability community together around the future of farming by bringing profitable, planet-friendly farming practices into the mainstream. The public-private partnership connects the dots, giving farmers a platform to share their journey, meet other farmers on the same path and access the resources they need to undertake change. The Movement is organized by Trust In Food in partnership with the Farm Journal Foundation. Financial and technical support is provided by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and leading agribusinesses, food companies and nonprofit organizations.
In support of the Sorghum Checkoff, the Movement will work to:
– Communicate the sustainability story of sorghum producers across the industry and to buyers.
– Secure farmers’ continued license to operate and access global markets.
– Ensure continued innovation that builds on the desired characteristics and uses of sorghum, as an ingredient in consumer food products, pet food, animal feed and many other markets.
– Monitor and evaluate relevant sustainability activities to deliver stories and data points that illustrate the sustainability accomplishments and progress of sorghum farmers.
“The Sorghum Checkoff is honored to partner on America’s Conservation Ag Movement,” said Tim Lust, chief executive officer, Sorghum Checkoff. “As U.S. sorghum producers successfully grow more than 400 million bushels of this crop annually for diverse uses and buyers around the world, they are doing so in a way that is attuned to excellent stewardship of soil, water and wildlife habitat. We’re pleased to honor their contributions to healthy working lands and ecosystems through the Movement while also enabling sorghum producers to take the next steps on their own conservation ag journeys.”
To learn more about America’s Conservation Ag Movement, visit www.AgWeb.com/ACAM.
About Farm Journal
Farm Journal is the nation’s leading business information and media company serving the agricultural market. Started 144 years ago with the preeminent Farm Journal magazine, the company serves the row crop, livestock, produce and retail sectors through branded websites, eNewsletters and phone apps; business magazines; live events including conferences, seminars and tradeshows; nationally broadcasted television and radio programs; a robust mobile-text-marketing business and an array of data-driven, paid information products. Farm Journal also is the majority shareholder of the online equipment marketplace, Machinery Pete LLC. In 2010, the company established the non-profit, public charity, Farm Journal Foundation, dedicated to sustaining agriculture’s ability to meet the vital needs of a growing population through education and empowerment.
About Trust In Food
Trust In Food is a purpose-driven division of Farm Journal, dedicated to mainstreaming and accelerating the transition to more sustainable and regenerative ag practices, making every dollar invested in conservation agriculture more impactful. We bring business intelligence to agricultural production behavior change: helping farmers understand, want and feel capable of undertaking practice change through data science, social research and strategic communications deployed through the omnichannel Farm Journal platform in collaboration with our partners. Visit www.trustinfood.com to learn more.
About United Sorghum Checkoff Program
The United Sorghum Checkoff Program is a producer-funded organization that is dedicated to improving the sorghum industry through research, promotion and education. For more information about the USCP and other research projects, please visit www.sorghumcheckoff.com.