Cover Crops Goal to Benefit Pig Farm Sustainability

A new partnership between USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service and Farmers for Soil Health was awarded a $1 million grant to advance adoption of soil conservation practices on farms. 

FSH is a farmer-led, farmer-funded initiative that will help producers plant cover crops on 30 million acres of soybeans and corn by 2030 to improve overall soil health. 

FSH is a joint effort of National Pork Board, National Corn Growers Association and the United Soybean Board. 

Pork producers can measure their cover crop adoption by using On-Farm Sustainability Reports, which are available at no additional cost to them to help document and improve on-farm sustainability efforts. 

Steve Rommereim, past president of NPB, says, “Nearly one-half of pork’s environmental footprint comes from the corn and soybeans that are fed to pigs.” 

Rommereim adds sustainable pork production begins with sustainably grown feed. 

NPB says the initiative will support the environmental stewardship on row-crop acres, ultimately helping pork producers meet their sustainability goals.

(Story Courtesy of the NAFB News Service)