Through the Path to Pasture program with DFA's sustainability team and associated nonprofits, funds from Good Culture will be leveraged to provide farmers with education on and access to sustainable, regenerative agriculture farming practices.
The Path to Pasture pilot program will initially be offered to farmers in the Minnesota and Wisconsin milkshed interested in enhancing soil or pasture health. Initial outreach and commitments started in 2020, with implementation of new resources and processes to start in spring 2021. Consultations will continue through mid-summer 2021 with implementation for those in the program in the fall.
"At Good Culture, we are committed to creating good for people, animals and the planet, and soil health and regenerative agriculture plays a vital role in this," said founder Jesse Merrill.
"Through the Path to Pasture program and our partnership with DFA, we aim to support farmers by providing them access to regenerative agriculture farming resources which will create healthier soil; grow more nutrient-dense foods; ensure that our animals are outside on pasture; and sequester carbon."
"DFA and our farm family-owners are committed to sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint," says David Darr, senior vice president and chief strategy and sustainability officer at DFA.
"Continuous improvements in soil health, including development of pasture, are important parts of our overall sustainability strategy. We are excited to establish Path to Pasture as a new program to educate, share best practices and promote continuous improvement with our members."
The brand also works with Kiss The Ground to provide access to scholarships for soil health training and testing. For each cup of organic Good Culture sold, 1% of sales goes towards transitioning conventional farms to regenerative agriculture practices with a focus on planned grazing. Since 2017, 14 scholarships have been awarded to farmers and producers.
The Path to Pastures program announcement follows the company announcing it is a Certified B Corporation.