Let’s find the right regenerative agriculture approach for your farm.
Farming is the foundation of everything we do. And while we’re committed to regenerative agriculture principles — which positively impact farmers, their land and their communities — we understand that every farm is different and there is not a one-size-fits-all approach.
As we continue our journey to advance Regenerative Agriculture, we invite you to see how your practices align with regenerative agriculture principles.
It starts with this farmer-friendly tool: General Mills Regenerative Agriculture Self-Assessment.
The tool is inclusive of all farming systems — small and large, organic and conventional, crop and livestock, domestic and international. Using that context, you can then assess which principles, or combination of principles, are best suited for your operation (and celebrate those you’re already implementing).
This version 2.0 of our self-assessment tool was developed in collaboration with 140 farmers along with a handful of scientists, practitioners, and a diverse group of employees across General Mills. The goal is to both help farmers understand the alignment between their farm practices and regenerative principles, as well as help companies with agricultural supply chains gain visibility to farm-level practices of regenerative agriculture.
At General Mills, we’re using the tool to empower farmers at the foundation of our supply chain to explore how their practices align with regenerative agriculture principles. We are also using the tool to track progress against our commitment to advance regenerative agriculture on one million acres by 2030.
Start your 20-minute self-assessment now.
Ecosystem Services Market Consortium
Since early 2018, General Mills has collaborated with external partners to design an ecosystem services market for agriculture to recognize and reward farmers and ranchers for their environmental services to society, such as soil health systems. General Mills is a founding member of the member-based Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC), which was established in May 2019.
ESMC is working with General Mills, Kansas Department of Health & Environment (KDHE) and consultants from Understanding Ag to work with participating Kansas pilot producers to identify and implement changes to their farming practices that will improve soil health to store more carbon in agricultural soils. They will also collect information needed to quantify and verify the environmental assets generated from the practice changes.
From there, ESMC will quantify the impacts and verify them independently, to generate certified credits based on actual impacts to ecosystem services attained. The certified impacts allow the benefits to be assigned to another organization’s sustainability obligations. General Mills will utilize greenhouse gas improvements in their sustainability reporting, while the KDHE will identify buyers who seek certified water quality benefits that participating farmers achieve.
Young Farmers
The average age of farmers in the U.S. is 59 years old, and young farmers are facing unprecedented challenges to creating viable careers in agriculture. We recognize the need to help cultivate the next generation by providing resources, supporting farmer advocacy, and bringing young farmers together to ensure that they have a chance to succeed. ESMC will quantify the impacts and verify them independently, to generate certified credits based on actual impacts to ecosystem services attained.
National Young Farmers Coalition & Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture
While many of our regenerative agriculture initiatives focus on agricultural systems within our supply chain, we know that sometimes there are needs and organizations beyond our supply chain that warrant our support. We are passionate about the Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture’s Regenerative Farming Fellowship. Through this 6-month program, General Mills is supporting “next generation” organic and conventional farmers producing row crops, grains, oilseed and/or integrated livestock in the country’s midsection who are working on a transition to regenerative practices.
The Young Farmers Fellowship will create a peer cohort that supports participants’ development as both practitioners and ambassadors of regenerative farming. As a key component of the program, the fellows will receive advocacy training from the National Young Farmers Coalition to prepare them to take a leadership role in engaging with state and federal farm policy. The National Young Farmers Coalition is a leader in engaging young farmers around public policy to support the future of agriculture.
Understand Context - No two farms or ranches are the same, and the regenerative agriculture principles should be implemented based on the environmental, economic and cultural context of each unique operation.
Minimize soil disturbance – Soil is very porous, like a sponge, and tilling soil weakens its structure. It collapses on itself, hardens, and over time loses its ability to absorb water or allow roots to grow. Reducing or eliminating tillage, along with limiting other disturbances like overgrazing and over-application of nutrients and pesticides, can reverse this process.
Maximize plant diversity – Many problems that farmers and ranchers have to deal with – such as pests, diseases and poor nutrient cycling – can be traced to a lack of diversity in the agricultural system. Including a broader range of plants and animals in the system decreases pest and disease pressure, while also supporting biodiversity and improving the health of the soil.
Keep the soil covered – Keeping the soil covered with living plants and crop residue protects it from wind, sun, hard rain, and other elements that erode it and damage the organisms living in the soil.
Maintain living roots year-round – Green, living plants are the foundation of the soil ecosystem. While most crops only grow for a few months out of the year, growing plants continually throughout the year retains nutrients and increases the supply of food to the living things in the soil, which leads to carbon sequestration, cleaner water and improved soil function.
Integrate livestock – Integrating grazing livestock on crop land benefits plants and soil in numerous ways. Natural pruning inspires new plant growth, natural fertilizer invites helpful insects to aerate the soil and spread organic matter, and livestock movement increases nutrient cycling by trampling crop residue.understand that every farmer approaches his/her operation differently to account for unique characteristics and challenges, be it climate, soil type, topography, crop history, markets, labor, or equipment. Using that context, farmers can then assess which principles, or combination of principles, are best suited for their operation.
We are studying changes in soil health, biodiversity, and farm economics from 51 farms across the Northern Plains of North Dakota and Canada. Of those 51 farms, 45 are receiving regenerative agriculture coaching and are implementing regenerative management plans developed with their coach. Six remaining farms, two per region, will serve as conventional control farms that will be used for comparison against the regenerative farms over time. We have developed a similar design for the 24 farmers in the Southern Plains, Kansas Regenerate Ag pilot, and the 3 dairy operations in the Michigan Regenerative Ag pilot. The following chart lays out the measurement specifics, partners and sampling frequency. A water quality measurement protocol will also be developed in 2020.
Pilot Programs
We don’t believe in templates or plug-n-play when it comes to agriculture – what works for one farmer, in one region, with a specific crop, doesn’t typically translate to another region. We know that no two farms or farmers are alike, which is why we developed our pilot program to be customized for each participant.
Our pilot programs are comprised of multi-day workshops to provide education on the principles of regenerative agriculture, with 300 farms representing over 500,000 acres in attendance in year one.
Farmers classroom
One-on-one technical support for 45 farmers across North Dakota and Canada in our oat supply shed to transition to regenerative agricultural systems equating to approximately 50,000 acres. Personalized coaching equates to approximately one day on farm each month.
One-on-one technical support and coaching for 24 farmers in central Kansas to transition to regenerative agricultural system equating to approximately 17,000 acres. Personalized coaching equates to approximately one day on farm each month.
General Mills funds research about the links between farm management, soil health, water management, and different forms of biodiversity.
Regen Ag Farming Fellowship
The Young Farmers Fellowship will create a peer cohort that supports participants’ development as both practitioners and ambassadors of regenerative farming. As a key component of the program, the fellows will receive advocacy training from the National Young Farmers Coalition to prepare them to take a leadership role in engaging with state and federal farm policy. The National Young Farmers Coalition is a leader in engaging young farmers around public policy to support the future of agriculture.
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