How we’re working toward our Grains for Good goals

Grains for Good is our goal to source 100% of our flour from regeneratively grown wheat by 2030. It’s a big undertaking, but one we’re committed to as environmental stewards. Here’s how we’re working toward this ambitious goal.  

First: What does regeneratively grown wheat even mean? 

Regenerative agriculture seeks to restore, renew, and enhance natural resources through a range of farming practices that focus on healthy soils, ecosystems, and farming communities. It’s not just about sustaining our planet, but actively healing it through the way crops are grown. Examples of regenerative agriculture practices include cover cropping and crop rotations, minimizing inputs, and no/limited tillage. Learn more here: What is regenerative agriculture, and why is it so important? 

Wheat being harvested in the field

Our approach  

In developing our long-range strategy to achieve 100% regeneratively grown wheat in our flour, we have focused on areas in which we, as a company, have the most influence. Namely: how we source our wheat; how we support our farmers; and how we can help develop systems to enable regenerative adoption over time. In short, our work is based on five pillars: 

  • Financial Incentives: A premium payment for practice adoption and practice monitoring supports a farmer’s ability to make changes across their operation.
  • Measurement and Accountability: Our program is based on a scorecard developed with Kansas State University and the Sustainable Food Lab to track progress over time. The scorecard is rooted in regional expertise and applied scientific research.
  • Flexibility: Farmers have the flexibility to select the combination of practices that make sense for their context.
  • Place-Centered: Our program is based on the leading soil health research and resources in the regions where the wheat for our flour is grown.
  • Gradual Improvement: We partner with farmers over the long-term – building soil health takes time.
  • Support and Partnership: Trusted advising for farmers comes from the technical experts within the community. In addition to our work with partners like Kansas State and the Sustainable Food Lab, we are also a founding member of the Northern Plains Trusted Advisor Partnership, through which we support funding for agronomists to provide direct technical support for farmers in North Dakota.  

Overall, we’re using strategic partnerships and direct collaboration to support farmers in their regenerative goals, thereby increasing the percentage of regeneratively grown wheat that we source for our flours. It’s a long road, but one we are deeply committed to through investment, collaboration, and education. 

Learn more about our work here!