R.D. Offutt Farms Earns High Scores on a Sustainability Assessment
For seven consecutive years, R.D. Offutt Farms (RDO) has earned high scores in an industry assessment evaluating potato growers on sustainable practices.
The voluntary program, administered through the Potato Sustainability Alliance (PSA), assessed 420 North American growers across 589,120 potato acres for the 2023 crop year. The Sustainable Outcomes in Agriculture (SOA) Standard and Cropwise™ Sustainability (CWS) app were used in the assessment.
Farms were evaluated on six different criteria measures; results and insights from the SOA standard were reported using the following performance metrics:
- Essential – Fully compliant with regulatory requirements.
- Basic – Beneficial management practices well established in operation and consistent with meeting industry standard.
- Medium – Beneficial practices are well established in the operation informed by data collected and experts. New practices and technologies are being implemented consistent with improving the industry standard. Barriers to adoption of practices that benefit conservation are being overcome.
- High – Whole farm management and optimization for long-term profitability, risk reduction and the conservation of natural resources. Collaboration and influence beyond the farm provide benefits for the operation as well as for the broader community.
Growers were evaluated on six broadly applicable sustainable agriculture outcomes that result from the adoption of various management strategies, practices, and technologies: Optimal Production, Water Impact, Soil Health, Biodiversity and Habitat, Human and Animal Health, and Community Leadership.
R.D. Offutt Farm’s benchmark report provided the following scores in each category:
Optimal Production
This score reflects the adoption of beneficial management practices that encompass the use of records, farm planning, in season adjustments, the use of precision and decision technology, fuel energy management, electricity energy management, equipment management, and crop loss and waste reduction.
RDO Farms scored High
Water Impact
This score reflects the adoption of beneficial management practices and technologies that encompass water management, irrigation infrastructure, and irrigation planning.
RDO Farms scored High
Soil Health
This score reflects the adoption of beneficial management practices and technologies that encompass runoff erosion management, wind erosion management, soil function, production for conservation, and soil measurement.
RDO Farms scored High
Biodiversity & Habitat
This score reflects the adoption of beneficial management practices that encompass habitat quality and pollinator management.
RDO Farms scored High
Human & Animal Health
This score reflects the adoption of beneficial management practices that encompass community engagement, worker opportunities, worker conditions, and education and training.
RDO Farms scored High
Community Leadership
This score reflects the adoption of beneficial management practices that encompass community engagement, worker opportunities, worker conditions, and education and training.
RDO Farms scored High
The image consists of three side-by-side line graphs set against a white background. Each graph includes a green gradient fill under a single upward-sloping curve. From left to right, the graphs are titled “Human and Animal Health,” “Biodiversity and Habitat,” and “Water Impact.” Each graph features a vertical line labeled “Your farm-4” intersecting the curve. The x-axes are labeled with four categories: 1: Essential, 2: Basic, 3: Medium, 4: High. The y-axis on the first graph ranges from 0 to 64, on the second from 0 to 30, and on the third from 1 to 34.
Since our beginning 60 years ago, R.D. Offutt Farms has been committed to responsible and sustainable growing practices. These practices help reduce the need for inputs such as nutrients and pesticides, while optimizing our yield. We are proud to participate in the annual PSA survey and we are pleased to see the practices we implement align with industry standards. We care about the health of our local communities; after all… we live, work, and play here, too.
Click here to read the 2023 Potato Sustainability Assessment Report.
Click here to read RDO’s 2023 farm sustainability benchmark report.