Farming for the Future Profitably Through Conservation Practices
“For us, sustainability and profitability really go hand in hand. For both of those things to exist on the farm, you have to really pay attention to the details,” shares third generation farmer, Jeff Huffman. “It’s the hard work of managing those details that will make us be able to farm into the future profitably.”
Jeff has been farming with the future in mind for nearly two decades. Alongside his father in law, Dale Wahlgren, Jeff farms over 3,300 acres of corn, soybeans, and alfalfa on their family farm in central Nebraska.
Since 2017, Jeff has been an active participant in the PepsiCo-Frito Lay Continuous Improvement Project, which aims to help corn growers in Frito Lay’s central Nebraska sourcing region reduce irrigation water usage on their operations. The project leverages Nutrien’s Agrible platform, which embeds Field to Market’s sustainability algorithms and metrics, to enable participating growers to track agronomic and environmental outcomes across their fields over time. “As a part of this initiative, we have to produce more information,” shares Jeff. “Field to Market and Nutrien help us to track our practices and has helped us meet both Frito Lay’s sustainability goals and our own reporting needs.”
Through the project, Jeff utilizes analysis from the Fieldprint® Platform to quantify, assess and make more informed decisions relative to irrigation water usage, greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, and nitrogen use efficiencies. “It’s up to the farmer to prove that we are doing things well,” says Jeff as he reflects on the importance of documenting his operation’s sustainability data. “To do that we need to be able to show some real numbers to indicate whether we are actually conserving water and using less chemicals.”
Jeff Huffman
3rd Generation Farmer
Maxwell, Nebraska
In addition to expanding his ability to quantify, document and track field-level data on his operation from year to year, Jeff’s involvement in the PepsiCo-Frito Lay project has also given him new perspectives on sustainability and his role in the agricultural value chain.
“Our relationship with Frito Lay and their sustainability goals has really pushed us as producers to see ourselves as part of the bigger picture. I’m not just producing a commodity out here on my own, I’m a part of the international food chain,” Jeff explains. “We have a responsibility to do things right not just for ourselves and our family, but we also have a bigger responsibility to the consumers of the world.”
“Over the last 20 years, we've converted almost every irrigated acre to more efficient center pivot irrigation,” shares Jeff. “Using various forms of in-season water monitoring, we can insure we aren't running irrigation systems on an indiscriminate schedule.”
In addition to water conservation practices, Jeff is always looking for opportunities for environmental improvement while driving productivity and profitability across his operation. By using split-application and local manure inputs for fertilizer to improve soil health, as well as adopting variable rate technology for seeding, irrigation and nutrient management, Jeff strives to operate with the understanding that decisions today impact tomorrow.
“One of my favorite things about working with Jeff, is that he is always open to trying to look for the next big thing that could benefit his operation,” shares Dave Hengen, a Crop Consultant with Nutrien Ag Solutions. “I’m a big believer that for farms to have long term sustainability, they must always have one eye open to new or different practices. Jeff is always willing to look.”
As he looks toward the future, Jeff has his eyes set on ensuring the profitability and long-term sustainability of his operation. “Our motto is farming for the future today. With everything I do today, I’m trying to think about my kids and my grandkids because that’s what Dale has done. We’re doing the best we can, not just for our family, but also for our neighbors, our community, our region and all of Nebraska.”
"I want my grandkids to be able to farm these same grounds. What am I doing today, in 5 years and 10 years is what will be able to make that happen so everything I do needs to be profitable and sustainable."
Jeff Huffman
3rd Generation Farmer
Maxwell, Nebraska
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