General Mills promotes a regenerative renaissance through Soil Health Academy

Continuing its commitment to regenerative agriculture practices, food giant General Mills has awarded a $1.65 million grant to the non-profit Soil Health Academy (SHA) to educate and mentor wheat and oat producers in targeted regions of the U.S. and Canada as they transition from conventional agricultural practices to soil health-focused regenerative agriculture practices.

SHA will partner with Understanding Ag, LLC (UA), a regenerative agriculture consulting company, to implement a three-year program providing on-farm education and mentoring to help farmers and ranchers successfully implement soil health-improving and more profitable regenerative practices. Those protocols will protect and enhance natural resources, increase biodiversity, and maintain farm communities.

“UA’s consultants will work with these producers to develop three- to five-year regenerative management plans which also incorporate on-farm experimentation and learning,” said SHA president David Brandt.

The project includes documenting and evaluating soil health improvements, crop profitability, and biological diversity benefits. Transitioning from conventional farming to regenerative systems requires education. “Knowledge, observation, understanding, and problem-solving skills remain the key to the successful application of regenerative agricultural systems,” Brandt said. SHA’s regenerative schools and curriculum do just that.

“We know that farmers learn best from other farmers and the experience and knowledge that these renaissance regenerative agriculture experts provide is unprecedented,” said Mary Jane Melendez, president of the General Mills Foundation and chief sustainability and social impact officer for the company. “We’re honored to call them partners.”

Source: CSR Wire

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