The program, formally called the N Rate Risk Protection program, is open to conventional corn farmers willing to reduce their use of nitrogen fertilizer by approximately 20 pounds per acre. All farmers will receive a per-acre stipend for participation; those confronting lower yields due to the reduction will be compensated. Applications are open now and will be accepted through April.

Farmers enrolled in the program will supply feed to mills that serve Applegate livestock producers. Throughout the program, PFI will track and document the successful on-farm practices that support reduced fertilizer use. A tally of total reductions in nitrogen application and associated decreases in greenhouse gas emissions will be shared by Applegate in 2027.

"This program is the embodiment of Applegate's pragmatic approach to our mission: Changing The Meat We Eat^®," said Carolyn Gahn, Applegate's senior director of mission and advocacy. "It lessens the financial risk for farmers to do what they want to do anyway — minimize environmental impact and save money. We're grateful to work with PFI to create a rare win-win for farmers."

Reducing nitrogen fertilizer application lowers input costs for farmers while also helping to address environmental harms that scientific authorities say are associated with fertilizer runoff, including water pollution and the expansion of "dead zones" in the Gulf of Mexico.

"Nitrogen is a vital crop nutrient, but when more is applied than the crop can use, it can move into waterways and impact wildlife, people and aquatic ecosystems," said Chelsea Ferrie, PFI's crop nutrition systems manager. "By helping farmers find their optimal nitrogen rates, we can support both farm profitability and improve environmental outcomes."

Financial risk remains one of the biggest barriers to change in agriculture. By providing a form of yield-loss protection to farmers willing to try a new approach, the N Rate Risk Protection program allows corn growers to experiment with lower nitrogen applications while protecting their bottom line and building long-term farm resilience.

"Applegate's Groundwork initiative is about exactly that — laying the groundwork for a more sustainable food system, one farm at a time," Gahn said. "We see this partnership with PFI as a model for how food companies can put their money where their mission is."

Source: Applegate Farms LLC