Jeff Crissinger, VP of Agronomy sales / Marketing
Jeff.Crissinger@NuWay-KandH.com
if you have read any of the newsletters between March 2023 and now, you will know that I have been focusing on conservation and sustainability topics. My topics ranged from sustainability as it relates to the beginning of a change in future mindset, to carbon intensity and the possibility of emerging markets, to specialized pieces of equipment that NuWay-K&H Cooperative has which help support the adoption of climate smart practices. This issue of the Communicator also focuses on our conservation efforts–this time describing how we are investing in a new employee role called a ‘conservation agronomist.’
NuWay-K&H Cooperative understands that, if we are going to effectively help our customers understand and take advantage of the opportunities associated with conservation programs and adopt climate smart practices, we need an individual focused on these efforts 100% of the time. Knowing this, we began to look for ways that we could create a conservation role and bring an employee on board. In late 2023, we began to learn more about an upcoming grant opportunity through Truterra, the sustainability division of Land O’ Lakes. This grant would provide financial and program development assistance to ag retailers interested in adding a conservation agronomist to their current staff.
Since January of 2024, we have been actively pursuing this opportunity, and we are pleased to announce that our grant application has been accepted. Pending final approval from the USDA, we are ready to put a conservation agronomist in place. The addition of this role will happen before the fall of 2024, allowing our conservation agronomist to be engaged with growers as they plan for the 2025 crop year.
Our conservation agronomist will have four broad responsibilities, mainly focused on education, support, and opportunity implementation. They are:
- Build connections between farmers, ag retail, and sustainability-minded organizations to grow local opportunities.
- Increase farmer awareness and participation in climate smart and conservation programs,
- Assist farmers in implementing climate-smart practices as part of a whole acre agronomic plan.
- Provide outreach and education to rural communities and public organizations regarding NuWay-K&H and our customer sustainability efforts.
There is a tremendous amount of opportunity relative to sustainability, climate-smart, and conservation programs and services in our area, and additional offerings continue to develop. NuWay-K&H believes that the best approach for our company and our customers is to have a dedicated person in the role of conservation agronomist on staff to help everyone prepare for and take advantage of the opportunities that make sense.
Look for more information to be delivered describing the roles and responsibilities of our conservation agronomist as we progress towards the harvest season.
