Wenn man an Landwirtschaft in den USA denkt, denkt man nicht vorderhand an nachhaltige Bewirtschaftung oder großen Fokus auf Umweltverträglichkeit. Das gilt natürlich auch für den Anbau von Mais, dem wichtigsten Grundprodukt in der Herstellung von Bourbon.
Nun hat sich die Kentucky Distillers‘ Association (KDA) in Zusammenarbeit mit Precision Conservation Management und vier großen Produzenten (Brown-Forman, Diageo North America, Heaven Hill und Suntory Global Spirits) mit einer Initiative das Bewusstsein der Landwirtschaft in Kentucky für die Nachhaltigkeit ihres Tuns stärken. Zum Beispiel wird man Mittel zur Verfügung stellen, um es Landwirten zu ermöglichen, Spezialisten auf diesem Gebiet zu verpflichten, um mit ihnen gemeinsam am regenerativen Anbau von Mais zu arbeiten. Innerhalb der nächsten fünf Jahre will man so über 400.000 Hektar bewirtschaften und die Erkenntnisse daraus für eine noch breitere Ausrollung gewinnen.
Hier die Presseaussendung der KDA:
| Presseartikel | Für den Inhalt ist das Unternehmen verantwortlich |
Kentucky Distilleries and Precision Conservation Management Join Forces to Enhance Regenerative Corn Farming Practices throughout Commonwealth
Kentucky Distilleries and Precision Conservation Management Join Forces to Enhance Regenerative Corn Farming Practices throughout Commonwealth
FRANKFORT, KY.— Four leading spirits companies and the Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA) are joining forces with Precision Conservation Management (PCM) and the Kentucky Corn Growers Association (KCGA) to launch a five-year, $2.8 million initiative for Kentucky corn farmers. Together, Kentucky distillers are providing tools for corn farmers to successfully implement proven practices that will support the long-term resilience of the state’s historic agricultural community while providing economic and sustainable value to regenerative agriculture in Bourbon and distilling.
The collaborative Kentucky partnership, formed by Brown-Forman, Diageo North America, Heaven Hill Brands and Suntory Global Spirits, will support farmers by hiring additional conservation specialists to maximize management education beginning in 2025. PCM will work with farmers in the central Kentucky region to implement regenerative corn growing practices on more than one hundred thousand acres throughout five years. With these practices and new on-farm resources, the goal is to ease administrative burdens and identify economic and environmental benefits that can be scaled.
“Farmers are spread thin and are already making hundreds of management decisions each year. They want to do a good job, but face time constraints and decision fatigue when it comes to analyzing data and making changes. Our specialists work hand-in-hand with farmers to identify opportunities to improve the health of their farmland and success of their operation. We are grateful for our partnership with the KDA and Kentucky distilleries as we make these great ideas a reality by supporting our farmers in effective, regenerative practices — a win-win for our industries.”
Greg Goodwin, Director of PCM
“Having worked closely with PCM since 2015, I have seen how helpful this program has been to my on-farm decision making. I routinely work with my conservation specialist to analyze data and confirm the economic benefits of decisions I have made to adopt new practices and innovate for the environment,” shared J. “PCM has also helped me better understand how our practices are closely tied to the supply chain and allows my markets and end-users to trust that our crops will support their sustainability objectives.”
The collaborative effort will also expand PCM’s efforts in Kentucky to benchmark individual farm financials against an anonymized, regional and statewide dataset in an annual Resource Analysis and Assessment Plan. This will be utilized by farmers to understand where they can profitably implement conservation practices. This service is free to farmers, and they will receive a sign-on incentive for their time. The participating KDA distillery partners will provide additional acre-based incentives to corn growers adopting reduced tillage, cover crops, and maximizing their nitrogen use efficiency to reduce the impact of corn production within the Bourbon supply chain.
“With much of our distillers’ corn being produced in Kentucky, we see the massive impact that Bourbon has on Kentucky’s ag climate. As these four distilleries unite to support regenerative corn growing practices, I look forward to seeing how new resources and incentives can further propel our local farmers without impacting our bottom line.”
Eric Gregory, KDA President
Together, PCM and the KCGA aid farmers in making economically viable conservation decisions by providing a comprehensive range of data and personalized, expert consultations with PCM’s conservation specialists. To learn more about the program, please visit www.precisionconservation.org
