Truterra Partners with Dubuque County, IA to Offer Local Growers Financial Incentives for Sustainability Improvements

Dubuque, IA, February 23, 2021 - A new public-private partnership will help growers benchmark their on-farm sustainability practices and be rewarded for improvements through a first-of-its-kind pay-for-performance model in Dubuque County, IA. The Stewardship Incentive Program is a collaboration between Truterra, LLC, the sustainability business at Land O’Lakes, Inc., Dubuque County, the Dubuque Soil & Water Conservation District and local Truterra ag retailer Innovative Ag Services, to support area growers in adopting more sustainable farming practices that can improve soil health and water quality.
 
The program will leverage the Truterra ™ Insights Engine, a sustainability tool that allows growers to generate a stewardship baseline for every field and then predict and measure the impact of implementing specific conservation practices on both the environment and their profitability. The tool generates a Truterra™ Insights Score, which is an overall sustainability rating and allows growers to track their progress over time. The Truterra™ Insights Score is a measure of a growers’ agronomic practices and conservation practices, as well as being reflective of each farms’ soils and topography. This unique analysis allows the Truterra™ Insights Engine to pinpoint where practices are most impactful.
 
“Truterra is thrilled to be a part of this unique and innovative program that is giving growers the data and tools they need to adopt conservation practices on their farms that can improve their sustainability and profitability,” said Jason Weller, Vice President, Truterra. “The program is sending a clear message to farmers and citizens that Dubuque County is willing to reinvest local dollars to positively impact water quality, flood resiliency and climate impacts, and they are turning to farmers to help.”
 
Truterra and Innovative Ag Services will work with participating growers to benchmark their 2020 farm data and then evaluate how implementing new conservation practices on each enrolled field, anything from cover crops to improving tillage management or nutrient management, could improve their Truterra™ Insights Score. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to positively affecting an Insights Score, so growers will be in the driver’s seat, using data-driven insights to implement the conservation practices that work best for their fields in 2021. There will be a financial incentive based on the improvement in their Truterra™ Insights Score.
 
“Truterra does an excellent job evaluating the entire farming operation and where improvements can be made from both a conservation and profitability standpoint,” said Eric Schmechel, Watershed Program Director, Dubuque Soil & Water Conservation District. “We hope this first-of-its-kind program will lower some of the barriers growers face in implementing practice changes on their farms for the ultimate benefit of our county’s soil, water and climate.”
 
“Dubuque County’s funding shows its commitment to improving water quality,” added Dubuque County Board of Supervisors Chairperson Dave Baker. “Using Truterra’s Insights Engine to partner with local farmers to improve conservation practices will be beneficial for our watersheds.”
 
The program is open to all eligible growers in Dubuque County. To join this effort, please contact Eric Schmechel with the Dubuque Soil & Water Conservation District at (920) 327-0908 or eric.schmechel@dubuquecounty.us.
 
About Truterra, LLC
Truterra (formerly Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN) is a leading stewardship solutions provider, advancing and connecting sustainability efforts throughout the food system with scale – from farmers to ag retailers to partners such as food companies. Truterra positions farmers for success by providing them tools and resources to establish a stewardship baseline and track progress on every field they farm. The Truterra™ network brings together the best in agricultural technology and on-farm business management to drive sustainability across the food system, feeding people, safeguarding the planet and supporting farmer livelihoods. Truterra was launched in 2016 by Land O'Lakes, Inc., a member-owned cooperative that spans the spectrum from agricultural production to consumer foods. To learn more, visit www.truterraag.com.
 
About Dubuque Soil & Water Conservation District
The Dubuque Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) was organized at the request of local citizens interested in soil and water conservation.  A charter was issued under the provisions of the Soil Conservation Districts' Law, Code of Iowa, Chapter 467A, on March 26, 1945.


The District is a subdivision of state government, governed by five District Commissioners who are elected at the general elections on a nonpartisan basis for four-year terms. District Commissioners are volunteer conservation promoters who are charge by the Iowa General Assembly with the restoration and conservation of the soil, water, and related natural resources of the county. Assistant Commissioners can be appointed by the SWCD Board to help implement District activities.
 
To learn more, visit www.duqubueswcd.org
 
About Innovative Ag Services
Innovative Ag Services Co. is a full-service farm cooperative offering a complete line of supplies and services to meet all of your farm needs. We provide value-added products and services to over 5,000 members in the grain, agronomy, feed, energy and building supply markets. To better serve you, our 31 locations are conveniently located throughout northeast and central Iowa and southwest Wisconsin.

Innovative Ag Services was incorporated in 2005 to ensure that our customers had access to the best products and services available. Since our founding, we have grown in size and territory through multiple mergers and acquisitions and have achieved over $615 million in annual sales. Our more than 280 dedicated employees play an important role in this growth and success.
 
To learn more, visit www.innovativeag.com