The Great Lakes
Unique regional context
The Great Lakes region, with an abundance of surface water and agriculture as a dominant land use, faces challenges with water quality and erosion. Farmers are adopting conservation practices like livestock integration, cover cropping, and no-till farming to improve both farm resilience and environmental protection.
Progress
We have invested in supply shed projects in this region since 2020. In 2024, we engaged over 95,000 acres in programming to advance regenerative agriculture.
How we’re supporting regenerative agriculture in this region
In the Great Lakes, we piloted a regenerative dairy program with Understanding Ag to support regenerative agriculture education, one-to-one coaching and peer learning for farmers. Alongside this program we are working with Farm Compliance Services to engage with dairies on reducing emissions associated with milk production. We are currently developing baseline greenhouse gas inventories and researching the benefits for farm profitability associated with reducing on-farm emissions.
We also support regional capacity building for regenerative agriculture through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to help improve water quality and habitat health around the Great Lakes region. Through our partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, as of 2023 we’ve supported 15 locally led projects across the region that are enabling regenerative agriculture adoption as well as improved habitats for wildlife on both crop and rangelands.
We have expanded our partnership and funding with The Nature Conservancy’s Feed in Focus program in efforts to advance both in-field conservation practices and reduce scope 3 emissions across our dairy footprint in Michigan. Feed in Focus aims to improve the sustainability of dairy farming by optimizing feed production practices on dairy farms, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance water quality and improve soil health through practices like cover cropping, reduced tillage, crop rotation, nutrient management, grazing and edge-of-field practices, while providing technical support and incentives to participating farmers.
Finally, in partnership with Sand County Foundation, we conducted an analysis to quantify the water quality benefits of conservation practices in the Lake Michigan Basin.
We also support regional capacity building for regenerative agriculture through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to help improve water quality and habitat health around the Great Lakes region. Through our partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, as of 2023 we’ve supported 15 locally led projects across the region that are enabling regenerative agriculture adoption as well as improved habitats for wildlife on both crop and rangelands.
We have expanded our partnership and funding with The Nature Conservancy’s Feed in Focus program in efforts to advance both in-field conservation practices and reduce scope 3 emissions across our dairy footprint in Michigan. Feed in Focus aims to improve the sustainability of dairy farming by optimizing feed production practices on dairy farms, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance water quality and improve soil health through practices like cover cropping, reduced tillage, crop rotation, nutrient management, grazing and edge-of-field practices, while providing technical support and incentives to participating farmers.
Finally, in partnership with Sand County Foundation, we conducted an analysis to quantify the water quality benefits of conservation practices in the Lake Michigan Basin.
Ingredients grown
• Wheat
• Oats
• Dairy
• Oats
• Dairy
Relevant products
• Cereal
• Baking mixes
• Baking mixes
Featured Partnerships
Explore other regions by clicking below
Northern Plains
In this area, we seek to address soil health and water quality issues.Southern Plains
Our efforts in this region support water management initiatives.Central Valley California
We help with the challenges of water scarcity in this key area.