Legacy Farmers Cooperative – Arlington Agronomy Achieves Year Seven Certification in 4R Nutrient Stewardship
Continuing its commitment to improving water quality in the Western Lake Erie Basin, Legacy Farmers Cooperative in Arlington, Ohio, has achieved certified status for year seven through the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Program.
The voluntary certification program 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. Facilities are required to meet certain program goals each year to retain certified status.
With the program in its ninth year, Arlington Agronomy joins a long list of retailers to achieve multi-year certification.
Arlington Agronomy is located in southern Hancock County. It employs 16 full-time staff and has been in operation as a Legacy Farmers Cooperative location since 2014 via the merge of Blanchard Valley Farmers and Deshler Farmers. Legacy Farmers Cooperative has a full-service lineup that includes dry application of fertilizer, liquid applications of crop protection and nutrient products, cover crop applications, and dry fertilizer applications. Legacy Farmers Cooperative also has a full-service precision agriculture program which includes soil sampling, VRT fertilizer recommendations, VRT application, and nutrient management planning services.
“4R to me here at Arlington Agronomy means that we are doing our part as a cooperative in helping our customers to grow the best crops they can, all while helping them be the best stewards of the land as we all can be,” said Lance Young, Arlington Agronomy operations manager.
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.
Approximately 2.5 million acres and more than 5,000 grower customers are serviced by the 55 facilities in Ohio that have earned 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification.
“When we are variable rating with our rig, Legacy is always able to get us prescriptions very timely after we get them our yield maps for them to calculate the yield removal,” said Brian Bower, Arlington Agronomy customer. “Since the start of H2Ohio, they have taken care of the nutrient management plan for us. I am confident in their work when it comes to managing nutrients for my operation and I know they are doing what is best because they are a 4R-certified retailer.”
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 the Lake Erie Basin and other waterways throughout Ohio. The program is administered by the Ohio AgriBusiness Association. For more information, visit 4Rcertified.org, email info@oaba.net or call 614-326-7520.
CUTLINES: Arlington Agronomy is a Legacy Farmers Cooperative Year Seven 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certified Location. Employees pictured include: (L to R): Andrew Solt, Leana Spaeth, Lance Young, Brandon Bowman, Mason Garmon, Justin Rice, Dylan Miles, Dan Schaller. (Not Pictured: Joe Spaeth, Tony Hall, Philip Leightey, Brett Miles, Daryl Rettig, Tyler Richard, Dennis Ward, Richard Worstine, Brad Worstine)