Improving Sustainability Efficiency in Minnesota

In Kimball, Minn., Tom Gregory, with his brother, Ed, and son, Nick, run Mill Creek Dairy with a mindset to always be improving the operation’s sustainability efficiency. With a 600-cow dairy and 450 acres of corn silage and alfalfa, his operation is a family-run business where they are always looking for the next improvement.

“We call it sustainability efficiency because when we do a project, we look at doing it the best way we possibly can,” says Gregory. “That’s how we run our operation – we look for ways that we can be more efficient.”

This improvement in sustainability efficiency has led to the installment of numerous conservation practices, including feedlot upgrades, low-till, nutrient management, cover crops, filter strips, sediment and water control basins, and grassed waterways.

It has also led him to get involved with the Farmers for the Future in Central Minnesota Fieldprint® Project. This project includes the Headwaters Agriculture Sustainability Partnership’s (HASP) Return on Investment Initiative (ROI), which has farmers like Tom input data into the Fieldprint Calculator to help determine the financial and environmental benefits of conservation farming practices, and the Sauk Watershed Initiative that is working to improve water quality.

“Tom’s commitment to conservation on his dairy farm is evident not only in his management practices, but also in his willingness to get involved with projects like the HASP ROI,” says Danielle Isaacson, Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program.

Through this project, Tom has been able to see how efficiently his operation is running and how he can continue to grow. “Having this information just makes us more aware of what we’re doing,” he says. “It makes me step back and look at my operation and think about what I can do better.”

Tom Gregory
Kimball, Minnesota

“We call it sustainability efficiency because when we do a project, we look at doing it the best way we possibly can. That’s how we run our operation – we look for ways that we can be more efficient.”

Tom Gregory
Kimball, Minnesota

For Tom, improving his own sustainability efficiency is half the battle in driving lasting change. He knows that not only do other producers need to make this efficiency change, consumers and the general public need to be made aware of these improvements and see them in action.

“People are becoming more and more concerned about where their food is coming from,” he explains. “So, we need to go out there and tell our story, making them more relaxed about the products they buy from us.”

Tom and his family have participated in a number of story-sharing events to help address this concern. Twice now, the family has hosted a ‘Breakfast on the Farm’ event, which brought 1,500-1,800 people to their operation within a half-day window to see how things are run and experience a day on the farm.

“People really enjoyed seeing where things come from and talking to us, the owners, about what we do,” recalls Gregory. “I’m grateful that our operation is a family operation, as it lets us explore all these opportunities for story-sharing and sustainability efficiency improvements.”

“Tom’s commitment to conservation and willingness to share this commitment with the broader community of producers and consumers through participation in projects like ROI and the Sauk Watershed Initiative amplifies his impact beyond the bounds of his own farm,” remarks Isaacson.

Tom’s passion for continuous improvement carries on, and he hopes to pass it, along with his operation, to the next generation.

“I want to leave behind an operation that my son can walk into and feel good about it. I want it to be profitable and a farm that’s also conservation minded,” he says. “You can always improve, no matter what you’re doing – you have to remember that."

"You can always improve, no matter what you’re doing – you have to remember that."

Tom Gregory
Kimball, Minnesota

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