Managing for Profit

Be sustainable and be transparent

Sustainability is one of the buzz-words around agriculture these days. Consumers want to know that the food they are purchasing is not only healthy but being grown in a responsible manner, one which will allow future generations to also have plenty of rich, fertile soil, clean water and air.  But what does sustainability really mean?  Some see it as a return to the farming practices of prior generations while others see it as the judicious use of modern techniques and technologies.  Each year the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy presents sustainability awards to dairy farmers and processors.  One of the first winners of the award was California dairyman Steve Maddox, he talks about the need for farmers to be good stewards and to let the consumer know what they are doing.