Fostoria and Gibsonburg, OH Facilities Achieve 4R Certification
Posted on May 11, 2016
The 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Program has announced that The Andersons, Inc.’s facilities in Fostoria and Gibsonburg, Ohio have been added to its growing list of nutrient service providers to achieve certified status.
The voluntary certification program, now in its third year as of March, 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.
The Andersons’ Farm Centers in Fostoria and Gibsonburg have 14 full-time employees, as well as seasonal drivers during the busy spring and fall. The facilities offer a full line of liquid/dry fertilizers, pesticides and seed to area customers. They also provide custom application of their products and offer crop consulting and soil sampling services, along with dry spreader cars and nitrogen applicators for rent.
“The Andersons has been involved with 4R Nutrient Stewardship since its inception,” said Jim Gosche, agronomy sales supervisor at The Andersons’ Gibsonburg facility. “The 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Program is highly focused on the social, economic and environmental implications of nutrient use and applications, which is especially important to us given our proximity to Lake Erie. Being a part of this program is beneficial to our customers, our neighbors and all of those who live, work and play on the lake.”
The program certifies nutrient service providers in the Western Lake Erie Basin that apply or make recommendations on how nutrients should be applied to crops 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.
Approximately 2.3 million acres and over 5,600 grower customers are serviced by the 30 facilities in Ohio and Michigan that have earned 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification, with approximately 70 percent of those acres located in the Western Lake Erie Basin.
“By participating in the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Program, The Andersons’ Fostoria and Gibsonburg facilities have proven their ongoing commitment to the long-term improvement of Lake Erie’s water quality,” said Carrie-Vollmer Sanders, Nutrient Stewardship Council chairwoman.
“We’re proud of The Andersons’ dedication and efforts in having multiple facilities go through the audit process and earn certification,” said Andrew Allman, executive director of the Nutrient Stewardship Council.
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 info@oaba.net or call 614-326-7520.
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