COLUMBUS – The 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Program has announced Sunrise Cooperative Inc. facilities in Attica, Ballville, Crestline and Norwalk have retained their 4R Certified status for the sixth year – the first facilities to reach this achievement. In addition, facilities in South Charleston, Osgood and Uniopolis have been added to its growing list of nutrient service providers to achieve certified status.
The voluntary certification program, now in its seventh year, is a concentrated effort by the agriculture industry to significantly reduce and prevent applied nutrients from running off fields, which has contributed to water quality issues in Lake Erie and other waterways across Ohio.
A leader in agriculture, nutrient management and addressing water quality concerns in the Lake Erie Basin, and the full state of Ohio, Sunrise has proven they are managed in accordance with the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification standards.
“At Sunrise, we begin each day committed to growing the success of our customer-owners, including having people in place to assist with continued education and responsible management of their nutrients,” said George D. Secor, President/CEO of Sunrise Cooperative. “Our dedication to nutrient stewardship is an example of our commitment to water quality and doing our part by not applying nutrients when they are not needed.”
The 4R Program certifies nutrient service providers in the Western Lake Erie Basin and across the state of Ohio that apply or make recommendations are doing so in accordance with 4R Nutrient Stewardship principles – which refers to using the Right Source of Nutrients at the Right Rate and Right Time in the Right Place. Program participants must go through an annual, independent, third-party audit and demonstrate they not only understand 4R principles, but also follow them.
“Working with Sunrise Cooperative, I know I’m getting the best management practices brought to my farm, and the most up to date technology advances to help drive those decisions” said Doug Phenicie, Crawford county farmer and Sunrise customer. “Knowing Sunrise is a 4R certified retailer assures me that everything we do has the best impact for my farm and community.”
Sunrise Cooperative is a leading agricultural and energy cooperative with its corporate headquarters located in Fremont, Ohio. Sunrise offers team-based solutions across multiple divisions including agronomy, grain, energy and feed, as well as a nationally recognized precision ag department and their own crop nutrition division, PCT | Sunrise. Sunrise is a 100-percent farmer-owned cooperative, and is committed to bringing innovative choices and expert solutions to customer-owners.
Approximately 2.81 million acres and more than 5,800 grower customers are serviced by the 58 facilities in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana that have earned 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification.
“The Nutrient Stewardship Council is proud of Sunrise Cooperative’s continued efforts in retaining their long-time certified status, while continuing to achieve new certifications for their many facilities, ” said Andrew Allman, executive director of the NSC.
The 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Program is governed and guided by the Nutrient Stewardship Council, a diverse set of stakeholders from business, government, university and non-governmental sectors with a common goal of maintaining agricultural productivity while also improving the quality of Lake Erie and its contributing watersheds. The program is administered by the Ohio AgriBusiness Association. For more information, visit 4Rcertified.org, email [email protected] or call 614-326-7520.
