A Pursuit of Innovation Advances Environmental Outcomes
Kamren Koompin strives to stay on the cutting edge of sustainability practices for his family’s 7,000-acre farm where he grows wheat, potatoes, corn, canola and safflower in American Falls, Idaho. A third generation farmer, Kamren is a leader in his agricultural community, implementing on-farm innovations and helping other farmers learn from his best management practices.
Determined to create a legacy for future generations, Kamren is dedicated to a journey of continuous improvement. Kamren was one of the first farmers to enroll in the Southeast Idaho Wheat Fieldprint® Project, led by General Mills and Syngenta, analyzing the sustainability performance of his wheat fields using the Fieldprint® Calculator. Kamren has since expanded into rotational crops with other food and beverage companies, including supplying potatoes for Simplot and PepsiCo.
By tracking progress against environmental outcomes based on specific management decisions, he has documented and demonstrated the results of his stewardship and conservation efforts to share with downstream customers while also managing the bottom line.
“When we started using the Fieldprint Calculator, it really put into visual detail how sustainable we were to begin with. Then, as the years went on, there were several field cultivation practices that we were willing to try because when we plugged them into the Fieldprint Calculator, we could see the difference they make,” shared Kamren.
One of the most innovative farm practices Kamren has implemented is the use of high residue cover crops in between the rotation of grains and potatoes, realizing he could increase soil quality and water use efficiency.
Kamren Koompin
3rd Generation Farmer
American Falls, Idaho
Following potatoes, Kamren plants canola, which stays in the ground for up to 15 months, or two seasons. With this management decision, he increases the quality and yield of potatoes by reducing soil-borne disease and pests.
He also rotates corn and wheat to increase water use efficiency and yield. When wheat is planted after a corn crop, the residue from the corn helps retain soil moisture, so Kamren can irrigate less frequently.
“That was something we were able to see visually on the Fieldprint Calculator. Having the Calculator provided a better and different way to look at it,” asserted Kamren.
Kamren uses green manure crops, a practice that incorporates forage crops, like alfalfa or clover, into the soil while they are green or soon after they flower to reduce erosion and build soil organic matter, by fixing nitrogen into the soil. He has also instituted variable rate fertilizer and irrigation application techniques and uses minimum tillage practices to burn less diesel.
“Doing well as a business, making profit from year to year, is very closely tied to maximizing outputs with the minimal amount of inputs,” highlighted Kamren. “With the Fieldprint Calculator, it helps us visually analyze areas like energy use efficiency and see, at year’s end, how it directly affects our bottom line when it came down to yield. We might not have been able to see it as well without the Fieldprint Calculator. It lets me see which of the practices I’ve implemented actually make an impact.”
“Doing well as a business, making profit from year to year, is very closely tied to maximizing outputs with the minimal amount of inputs. With the Fieldprint® Calculator, it helps us visually analyze areas like energy use efficiency and see, at year’s end, how it directly affects our bottom line.”
Kamren Koompin
3rd Generation Farmer
American Falls, Idaho
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