July 31-830-Seth Harden

Lessons in Integration of
Conservation from the
Agriculture Supply Chain
Presented By Partners of the Big Pine Creek Watershed Project
[Part 1] 8:30am – 10:00am

Overview of the Big Pine
Watershed Project
Lessons in Integration of Conservation from the Agriculture
Supply Chain

• Northwest Indiana, between
Indianapolis and Chicago
• 4 Counties
• Over 209,000 Acres
• Flows into the Wabash River
• Prairie and Woodlands
• Predominantly rural
communities

Project History
• 2007 the Nature Conservancy initiated
a study of the Wabash River
• 2010 comprised a list of priority
subwatersheds
• Big Pine Creek Watershed is 80% row-
crop agriculture
• Local Interested Partners

Watershed Funding
• Nina Pulliam Foundation Funds (The Nature Conservancy)
• Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)-Mississippi River Basin Initiative (MRBI)
• Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)-Lake and River Enhancement Funds (LARE)
• Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC)-Field to Market: Fieldprint Calculator
• CTIC-Coca-Cola
• NRCS-Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)
• The Nature Conservancy-Coca-Cola
• Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM)-Section 319 Grant
Over $3,000,000 in cost-share and in-kind!

Watershed Funding
Best Management Practices
• Cover Crops
• Reduced Tillage
• Grassed Waterways
• Filter Strips
• Nutrient Management Plans
• Drainage Water Management Structures
Education, Outreach, and Water Quality
Monitoring

• Large Farm Operations-1,200 acres
(twice the state average)
•50% farmland owned by absentee
landowners
•Non-progressive area
•“Our soil is fine how it is!”
•“Locally” driven

Agricultural Partnerships
• Ceres Solutions: outreach, marketing
materials, mailings, real-time feedback
• Land O Lakes: technical assistance, SUSTAIN
program
“The most important benefit I see working
together on this project will be a better
environment for all of us to live in as a result of
implementing these conservation practices to
improve water quality outcomes in Pine Creek
and downstream.”
-Tom Stein, Ceres Solutions

Agricultural Partnerships
Cover Crop Seed Dealers
Non-GMO Seed Salesman
Agriculture Equipment Companies
Purdue University
Farm Bureau
Farmland Realtor
Purdue Extension
FFA
Farmers

Community
Partnerships
Women Landowners
Paddlers/Recreators
Church Congregations
Historical Associations
Garden Groups
Economic Development
Elected Officials
Community Foundations

Public-Private Partnerships and
Monitoring Progress
Supply Chain

• 20% nutrient reduction by 2025
• Impact at scale through collaboration
Hypoxia Task Force Goals

*USGS “SPARROW” model data for nutrient loading into the Gulf of Mexico
About 1/2 of
Nutrients
Come From
These
25 River Basins*

Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework (ACPF)
Developed by Mark Tomer, Ag Research Service
A CONSERVATION PYRAMID FOR AGRICULTURAL WATERSHEDS

Indiana Ag Nutrient Alliance
Practice Adoption Goals
Effort 2025
Utilization of 4R Principles for Nutrient Management:
Farmers Regularly Performing Soil Sampling 100%
Farmers Implementing Nutrient Management Plans 100%
Frozen or Snow Covered Ground Application of Nutrients
Applied Only as Last Resort Option
100%
Application of Nutrients to Crops at Planting or Post
Emergence
75%
Statewide Soil Health Practices:
30% Increase Green Living Cover Crop Acres 40%
25% Increase of Minimum Tillage Acres 75%
10% Increase of No-Till and Strip-Till Acres 35%

Congressional Districts
in.gov/isda/2991.htm

Cover Crop and
Tillage Transects
in.gov/isda/2383.htm

Find this information online
• Financial information by county and program: in.gov/isda/icpreports/
• Search “Indiana Conservation Accomplishments”
• Search “Indiana Nutrient Reduction Strategy”
• View maps and background data specific to counties, watersheds, etc.
• Indiana is the only state in the country that shares, compiles, and reports
all assisted conservation information + the only state that performs a
comprehensive cover crop and tillage transect

Opportunities and Barriers for
Adapting Conservation Delivery to
Ag Retail
Supply Chain

The Concept
If farmers trust seed dealers, chemical dealers, advisors, and other
farmers for information to inform management decisions…why not find
a way to leverage their expertise?
How can we discover and create value for all of the watershed
stakeholder groups, including the ag retailer?
A public-private partnership will provide access to private sector
efficiencies in the public sector and streamline conservation solutions
and delivery in the private sector.
Supply Chain

Supply Chain

Big Pine Creek Watershed RCPP
• TNC submitted a successful Regional Conservation Partnership
Program (RCPP) application in 2016
• This included a $1,370,000 in-kind commitment from Ceres Solutions
and a $129,000 commitment from Land O Lakes and Winfield United
• Regular communication, required reporting, and use of SWOT analysis
at annual partner meetings are enabling us to track proof of concept
Supply Chain
NRCS Contribution $1,548,209
TNC and Partners
Contribution
$1,549,000
Total $3,097,209

• Identify In-Field Practices
EQIP funding is available for crop rotation,
cover crops, conservation tillage, nutrient
management, and pest management only,
aligning with Ceres Solutions expertise.
• Simplify Application and Ranking
Process
Ceres Solutions and NRCS staff work
together to make the application process
streamlined and efficient . Due to
watershed focus, the application ranking
process is simplified.
• Train Ag Retail Staff
From management to truck drivers, all
Ceres Solutions staff are informed about
the project and trained on components
relevant to their daily customer (farmer)
interaction.
• Employ Ag Retail Marketing
Responsiveness
The for-profit marketing expertise of the
Ceres Solutions marketing team is
leveraged to draft press releases and
develop tools that resonate with customers
(farmers).
Supply Chain

• Identify In-Field Practices
EQIP funding is available for crop rotation,
cover crops, conservation tillage, nutrient
management, and pest management only,
aligning with Ceres Solutions expertise.
• Simplify Application and Ranking
Process
Ceres Solutions and NRCS staff work
together to make the application process
streamlined and efficient . Due to
watershed focus, the application ranking
process is simplified.
• Train Ag Retail Staff
From management to truck drivers, all
Ceres Solutions staff are informed about
the project and trained on components
relevant to their daily customer (farmer)
interaction.
• Employ Ag Retail Marketing
Responsiveness
The for-profit marketing expertise of the
Ceres Solutions marketing team is
leveraged to draft press releases and
develop tools that resonate with customers
(farmers).
• Enhanced In-Field Technical Assistance
Professional agronomists advise customers
(farmers) real time through the lens of
available Ceres Solutions products and
services that align with the goals of the
project.
• Utilize Technology and Big Data
Through affiliation with agribusiness, Ceres
Solutions has access to cutting edge
technologies that measure and optimize
agronomic and economic prescriptions.
Supply Chain

Philosophy on Hybrid Use of
Public and Private Funds for BMP
Implementation
Supply Chain

Short Term
Funding
• Rookie
• Impatient
• Indecisive
• Commitment Issues
• Retirement preppers
• Imbalance in
management
• Time constraints
• Lack of resources
• No employees or too
many employees

Long Term Funding
• Experience in programs
• Excellent farm management
• Small manageable acreage
• Bored
• Patient
• Naturally progressive

Private Funding
• Anti-government
• Trust issues
• Poor previous experience
• Timing issues
• Communicators

Funding Assessments
• Funding Seekers
• What’s your conservation practice interest
• Where does your farm lie
• What’s your resource concerns
• What’s your timeline
• What are your resources (investment interest, employees, technical
assistance/expertise)
• Assess patience level
• Direct Approach
• Can I get you to try cover crops (Gateway)? What about a winter-kill
species?
• Typically begin with short-term funding
• Gradual addition of conservation practices

Table Discussion and Report Out
(5 Minute Table Discussion, 15 Minute Report Out and Idea Sharing)
(Write questions for the panel on slips of paper provided)
• What opportunities do you see?
• What are you skeptical about?
• Have you had similar projects and how did they turn out?
Supply Chain

Panel #1: Framing the Project and Response to
Your Feedback
• Jill Reinhart
Indiana Assistant State Conservationist for Partnerships, USDA-NRCS
• Betsy Bower
Agronomist, Ceres Solutions Cooperative
• Leslie Fisher
Watershed Coordinator
Benton Co. SWCD and Big Pine Creek Watershed Project
Supply Chain

[Part 2] 10:30am – 12:00pm

Field to Market®:
Fieldprint® Platform
Supply Chain

Supply Chain
Field to Market’s Mission

Field to Market
Sustainability
Metrics
Biodiversity
Energy Use
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Irrigation Water Use
Land Use
Soil Carbon
Soil Conservation
Water Quality
Field to Market | Fieldprint Platform V3.0

Measures at the field level with soil type,
slope and climatic conditions auto-
populated based on location

View Fieldprint Results on Spidergram
Expand and collapse each
indicator area
Toggle on / off
State, National and Project
benchmarks

Fieldprint Results and Related
Observations
Supply Chain

2016 Project
Objectives
• Host a kick-off meeting
• Enter 15 producers into the
Fieldprint Calculator
• Meet with producers and a
Certified Cropping Advisor (CCA) to
review and interpret scores
• Agree to observations by the
Purdue University Natural
Resources Social Science Lab
• Host an aggregated data meeting

2016 Project
Partners
• Conservation Technology Information Center
(CTIC)
• Benton, White, and Warren County Indiana
Soil and Water Conservation Districts
• Big Pine Creek Steering Committee
• Indiana Pork Producers
• Indiana State Department of Agriculture
• Field to Market
• Indiana Corn Marketing Board
• Indiana Farm Bureau
• Agrium
• International Plant Nutrition Institute
• The Fertilizer Institute
• Indiana Soybean Association

2016 Project
Goals • Inform producers of their environmental
performance baseline and improvement
opportunities
• Participants implement additional
recommended priority conservation practices
for nutrient use efficiency on their farms
• Big Pine Creek project partners and
participating producers use the Fieldprint
Calculator to influence and prioritize on-farm
conservation and efficiency decisions
• Producers pursue continuous improvement
toward sustainability metrics at a watershed
scale

2016 Project
Summary
• Kick-off meeting with additional material
• Entered 19 producers
• Held 18 CCA meetings, focusing on general
conservation themes
• Hosted aggregated data meeting, encouraging
local collaboration

2016 Project
Challenges
• Finding willing participants
• Explaining the Field to Market concept
• Time commitment
• Explaining specific metrics
• Comfort level being observed
• Additional CCA meeting
• Meeting attendance

2016 Project
Outcomes
• Established relationships
• Gained knowledge of
sustainable practices
• Brought awareness of
producer’s “Fieldprint” and
operational efficiency
• Connected cost-share
opportunities and necessary
resources with producers
• Became a training tool for
knowledge of agronomic
practices

2017 Project
Objectives
• Host a kick-off meeting
• Enter ten producers (Tate and Lyle customers) into the Fieldprint Calculator
• Develop a conservation plan for each producer
• Host an aggregated data meeting

2017 Project
Goals
• Build on existing producer relationships
• Focus on individualized conservation plans
• Connect more producers to cost-share
programs available
• Continue to build the capacity of the Big Pine
Creek Watershed Project

2017 Project
Summary
• Informal Kick-off meeting
• Entered data for 12 producers and consecutively produced an individualized conservation plan
• Hosted an aggregated data meeting tailored to the economics of the Fieldprint Calculator metrics

2018 Project
Water Quality Quantitative Pilot
Objectives
• Enroll 10 producers collecting data
from the same field for 2015, 2016,
and 2017
• Meet with Field to Market staff to
provide feedback
Goals
• Assess the feasibility of a metric
update

Fieldprint Calculator Project Benefits
• Building relationships with producers
• Connecting District cost-share programs and
resources
• Bringing awareness to sustainable metrics
within agricultural systems
• Building knowledge of conservation practices
• Farmer Recognition
• Staff training
• Resource to larger connections and
opportunities
• Build District capacity with additional funds

Truterra Insights Engine Pilot with
Ceres Solutions & Tate and Lyle
Supply Chain

AgriPulse Open Mic Podcast
Tina May; Land O Lakes Senior Director of Sustainability
• https://www.agri-pulse.com/media/podcasts/85-agri-pulse-open-mic-interview/play/9942-tina-may-senior-director-of-sustainability-at-land-o-lakes?utm_source=Agri-
Pulse+Daily+Harvest+2018&utm_campaign=cc29b4954d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_04_29_09_47&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6978e27d37-cc29b4954d-48785941
• 1:06 – 2:23
Supply Chain

Sustainability is a journey, not
a destination.

TruTerra Insights Engine Customer
Info

TruTerra Insights Engine – Customer Info

Coca Cola Project Results
Supply Chain

Project Purpose and Design
• Coca Cola REPLENISH and Sustainable Sourcing Initiatives
By 2020, safely return to communities and nature an amount of water
equal to what we use in our finished beverages.
We commit by 2025 to certify 100% of key agricultural ingredients
against our Sustainable Agricultural Guiding Principles.
• Coca Cola sources high fructose corn syrup used in Coca Cola from
two Tate and Lyle plants in Lafayette, IN with a millshed that includes
the Big Pine Creek Watershed Project
Supply Chain

Cumulative Results
2016 2017 2018
Number of Participating Farmers 5 12 7
Cover Crop Acres Established 1,000 ac. 1,700 ac. 1000 ac.
Crop Rotation (All Participants) Corn/Soybean Corn/Soybean Corn/Soybean
Cover Crop Species (All Participants) Cereal Rye Cereal Rye, Oats,
Rape, Radish,
Clover
Cereal Rye,
Oats/Radish
Total Project Cost $40,000 $42,500 $7000*
Coca-Cola Contribution 100% 100% 0%
Supply Chain

Outcomes and Impact
Total Benefit
Sediment Yield Reduction
Year Units
2016 1,539 MT
2017 4,604 MT
2018 1,763 MT
Total Benefit
Decrease in Runoff
Year Units
2016 383 ML
2017 1,019 ML
2018 1,019 ML
Supply Chain
• Limnotech is the third party hired by Coca Cola to quantify impact for their
initiatives. Limnotech calculations provide annual outcomes, but also project that
benefit overtime in their reports.

Supply Chain Case Study
Supply Chain

Supply Chain
Field to Market®:
The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture

82
TRANSPARENCY IS
NO LONGER
OPTIONAL

|Uniting the Supply Chain to Deliver Sustainable Outcomes for
Agriculture

Supply Chain
• SCIENCE-BASED
• OUTCOMES-BASED
• TECHNOLOGY NEUTRAL

Supply Chain
My goal every day is to make my land better than it was the year
before, so it can be the heart of a healthy, profitable business for
generations to come.”
Dirk Rice
5th Generation Farmer, Philo, Illinois
I think of sustainability as it applies to our farm and land as
maintaining and protecting our natural resources.”
Brandon Bauman
4th Generation Farmer, Stuttgart, Arkansas
“
To me, sustainability means staying power over the
long-term.”
Justin Knopf
5th Generation Farmer, Gypsum, Kansas
“

Supply Chain
How We Define Sustainability
Meeting the needs of the present while improving the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs by:
• Increasing productivity to meet future food, feed, fiber,
and fuel demands
• Improving the environment
• Improving human health
• Improving the social and economic well-being of
agricultural communities

Supply Chain
• Demonstrate use of the Fieldprint®
Platform on the ground at the grower
level and through the supply chain
• Engage farmers across geographies,
crops, and supply chains
• Sponsors include grower organizations,
supply chain companies, conservation
organizations, university extension
services, and NRCS
Continuous Improvement Projects

Supply Chain
Scaling Sustainable Solutions

Supply Chain
• Sustainably source key agricultural ingredients by 2020.
• Reduce the carbon footprint of "the drink in your hand” by 25 percent by
2020 against a 2010 baseline.
• Replenish Goal: By 2020, safely return to nature and to communities an
amount of water equal to what we use in our finished beverages and their
production.
• Encourage all suppliers to work continuously towards more sustainable
practices and to uphold Sustainable Agriculture Guiding Principles.

Field to Market, the Field to Market logo and Fieldprint are registered trademarks of Field to Market. All other brand names, product
names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. © 2019 Field to Market. All rights reserved.
Thank You!
For More Information or to Get Involved
Contact: Lexi Clark at lclark@fieldtomarket.org
Visit www.fieldtomarket.org

Table Discussion and Report Out
(5 Minute Table Discussion, 15 Minute Report Out and Idea Sharing)
• Who are the players on the input and output sides of ag production in
your area that you could potentially cooperate with? What perceived
barriers exist? What information or contacts do you need to overcome
those barriers?
• What research gaps do you and your farmers see?
• How do we build capacity to facilitate these tools and initiatives?
Supply Chain

Thank You for Learning with Us!

July 31-830-Seth Harden

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