Source: Farmers for Sustainable Food news release
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| Todd Doornick |
An alliance created five years ago to support and promote farmers in their conservation efforts has reached a new level, with a broader focus, more innovative projects and an increasingly diverse set of partners.
Today, the group, formed in 2016 as the Dairy Strong Sustainability Alliance, announced its transformation into Farmers for Sustainable Food, a nonprofit organization that provides resources, advocacy, support and empowerment for farmers who are innovating and demonstrating sustainable farming practices.
“Our vision is a sustainable food system in which farmers, their communities and the environment thrive,” said Todd Doornink, president of Farmers for Sustainable Food and a dairy farmer in northwestern Wisconsin. “Our focus is on uniting stakeholders to collaborate across organizational lines, inspiring farmers to be leaders of change and empowering our partners to meet their goals.”
The Dairy Business Association and The Nature Conservancy originally organized the alliance in Wisconsin around the goal of helping dairy farmers make tangible improvements to the environment and other aspects of their farms. Since then, additional partners have come aboard representing various parts of the food supply chain, from individual farms and agricultural groups to food processors and food companies. And the group is facilitating greater opportunities to achieve environmental goals and promote progress in Wisconsin and elsewhere in the Upper Midwest.
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| Lauren Brey |
“Our momentum has only increased,” said Lauren Brey, who serves as coordinator for Farmers for Sustainable Food.
“During the past year, especially, the organization’s work has become even more innovative, collaborative and widespread – for example, a number of projects aimed at measuring the impact of on-farm conservation practices. The work is growing beyond dairy and beyond Wisconsin as well, including with farmers and processors in Minnesota and South Dakota,” Brey said.
