Soil Health Institute, Walther Farms, DeGroot’s Vegetable Farms join the 40+ members in this growing organization.
St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin – The Potato Sustainability Alliance (PSA) has welcomed three new members to its organization in the first quarter of 2024. Soil Health Institute becomes the fourth Environmental NGO to join PSA, while Walther Farms and DeGroot’s Vegetable Farms join as Grower Associates, the newest member category offered by PSA.
PSA is an inclusive, pre-competitive collaboration of all players in the potato value chain. Over the past 12 years, PSA and its members have worked to define, measure, and advance potato sustainability by using robust metrics to drive improvements in productivity and profitability. Efforts are focused on protecting the environment and streamlining how farm-level data is collected and made available to end users.
A new Grower Associate category was added this year to address the unique needs and important contributions from potato growers. For growers that see value in demonstrating their sustainability commitment to their customers, PSA offers an opportunity to connect with an international organization focused on potato sustainability.
“At every stage of the value chain, from growers to retailers, sustainability issues continue to grow in importance. Our job at PSA is to help the potato industry work together, across business lines, to proactively develop comprehensive sustainability guidelines,” said John Mesko, PSA CEO. “Every time we get to welcome a new member company or grower, our organizational reach extends further and we are able to be even more effective in our mission to advance potato sustainability.”
Companies interested in learning more about the benefits of PSA membership are invited to contact John Mesko at mesko@potatosustainability.org or visit postatosustainability.org/join-us for more information.
About PSA’s newest members:
Soil Health Institute – The Soil Health Institute is a global non-profit with a mission of safeguarding and enhancing the vitality and productivity of soils through scientific research and advancement. The Institute brings together leaders in soil health science and the industry to conduct research and empower farmers and other landowners with the knowledge to successfully adopt regenerative soil health systems that contribute economic and environmental benefits to agriculture and society. https://soilhealthinstitute.org/
Walther Farms – Walther Farms is a 3rd generation family owned business headquartered in Three Rivers, Michigan. Beginning in the 1940’s, the company expanded from a few vegetable acres of backyard hobby farming, to what has now become over 18,000 acres of commercial and seed potatoes grown throughout the United States for the potato chip and fresh produce markets. https://waltherfarms.com/
DeGroot’s Vegetable Farms – The DeGroot family grows vegetables and grain in and around St.Anne, Illinois, the fertile growing region located 60 miles south of Chicago. DeGroot’s Vegetable Farms started in the early 1900s as a gladiolus farm and has evolved into a family of companies engaged in vegetable and grain production, produce sales, food and beverage industry logistics, fertilizer distribution, and ag and transportation tech ventures. Russet Potatoes are their largest vegetable commodity by acreage with over 600 acres of Norkotah and Gold Rush varieties. https://degrootfarms.com/
About the Potato Sustainability Alliance
The Potato Sustainability Alliance consists of growers, supply chain partners, non-profit organizations and advisors working together to improve the economic, environmental and social aspects of potato production in the United States and Canada. In conjunction with our partners, we support the identification and adoption of sustainable production practices and meet consumer and market expectations by benchmarking the farm level sustainability performance of potato production. For more information about the Potato Sustainability Alliance and its members, please visit https://potatosustainability.org/.
