The 4R team participated in this year’s Commodity Classic to introduce the 2018 4R Advocates at the annual Advocate awards banquet. TFI’s 4R Advocates are the cream of the crop when it comes to how they are using the 4R principles in their fields. It’s a distinguished list of farmers and retailers, and they are doing great work in helping us tell the story of how the 4Rs not only make sense for the environment, but also for the bottom line. This group might be our most diverse yet not just in geography (Florida, Louisiana, Illinois, Kansas, and Oregon), but also in crops (citrus, rice, corn, soy, wheat, and hops). They bring our total to 70 Advocates in 19 states who operate on more than 160,000 acres! Each pair’s story posted to the 4R website, along with a list of their 4R best management practices
This year’s Advocates spent time in the 4R booth at Commodity Classic to share their 4R experiences with other growers and ag professionals. The 4R booth also highlighted our 4R partners who were also attending Commodity Classic and who graciously agreed to show some 4R pride in their booth.
Additionally, TFI co-sponsored a learning session with the International Certified Crop Advisors program and NACHURS about 4R Nutrient Stewardship and it’s interaction with soil health. Former 4R Advocate Tom Connors from Illinois spoke about how he’s using the 4Rs on his farm to leave his soil and farm in better shape for the future. And TFI and The Nature Conservancy jointly hosted a learning session about how to advocate for 4R policies on Capitol Hill. Former advocates Grant Strom and Adam Dexter (West Central FS) spoke about their experiences using the 4Rs on Grant’s farm during the session.