Helping Farmers Increase Efficiency and Share Their Sustainability Story
For Scott Spohn—a fifth generation farmer who grows 6,000 acres of corn, soybeans and seed corn near Friend, Nebraska—the topic of sustainability is vital to his farm for two very important reasons. First, it’s an opportunity that enables him to share his story of conservation and stewardship with consumers, as the corn he grows ends up on tables across the country in breakfast cereal. Secondly, it provides a lens to help ensure that the practices Scott implements on his family farm will sustain its value for generations to come.
“It’s important for farmers to tell their sustainability story so consumers have a better understanding of where their food comes from and how their food is produced. People need to know how we’re trying to be efficient with our resources and raise more bushels with fewer inputs,” said Scott.
The Fieldprint® Calculator is an important tool in helping Scott identify those opportunities where he can become more efficient, producing positive results for the environment and his bottom line.
“Without measurement tools like the Fieldprint Calculator, I think it’s really hard for a farming operation to say, I’m sustainable or I’m efficient, because you don’t have any basis for comparison,” he emphasized. “It’s like a football coach that doesn’t want to watch any film. Every football coach watches film so they can look for areas to improve and continue to get better. And it’s the same with farming; there’s always room for improvement. By using the Fieldprint Calculator, we can continually improve our operations.”
Scott Spohn
5th Generation Farmer
Friend, Nebraska
This analysis has helped Scott advanced sustainable outcomes, like reducing his carbon footprint and improving his irrigation water use efficiency.
“The Fieldprint Calculator has helped me watch my profitability because I can look at the things that we can improve. I always felt our farm was very sustainable, but when you start comparing it to other neighbors, you say, well, maybe I wasn’t as good as I thought,” explained Scott. “What I like about the Fieldprint Calculator is I can specifically look at one area, maybe it’s my soil that I need to work on, maybe it’s my irrigation or my fertility, but it allows you to break it down and see where the biggest improvements and savings can be found.”
Pursuing this journey of continuous improvement is not only about the bottom line to Scott. It’s about sustaining the health of his soil and the value of his farm for future generations.
“As a fifth generation farmer, I think it’s extremely important to give my kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids the same opportunity to come home and farm that I’ve had,” said Scott. “So, in order for that to happen, we need to continue to be as efficient as possible with our natural resources.”
"Without measurement tools like the Fieldprint® Calculator, I think it’s really hard for a farming operation to say, I’m sustainable or I’m efficient, because you don’t have any basis for comparison."
Scott Spohn
5th Generation Farmer
Friend, Nebraska
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