Gerald Grain Center Certified in 4R Nutrient Stewardship

The 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Program has announced that Gerald Grain Center in Ridgeville Corners, Ohio has 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.

“Being a 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certified location shows that Gerald Grain Center is committed to ensuring a sustainable future for our growers while maximizing their return on investment,” said Joe Taylor, CCA for Gerald Grain Center. “Gerald Grain looks forward to continuing to utilize the practices that are outlined in the 4R program to optimize the fertilizer our growers apply for each growing season. We are excited to be 4R Certified because it is a unique program that allows our company to have a set of guidelines to follow to ensure the success of our growers while protecting the environment.”

Gerald Grain Center has been in operation in Ridgeville Corners since 2000. Gerald Grain Center Agronomy is a full-service co-op location, offering liquid and dry fertilizer, bulk and packaged chemicals, seed treating, and field scouting. Gerald Grain Center also offers many precision ag services including variable rate seeding and variable rate fertilizer recommendations, grid and zone sampling, and variable rate application of dry and liquid fertilizers. Gerald Grain Center Agronomy has a staff of 13 employees, including one Certified Crop Advisor, three crop consultants, five custom applicators, and one precision ag specialist.

“Partnering with a 4R Certified provider such as Gerald Grain gives me the confidence that we have some of the same environmental goals in mind,” said Todd Hesterman, Gerald Grain Center grower customer. “When we discuss strategies, we are generally on the same page.”

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 2.9 million acres and more than 6,000 grower customers are serviced by the 60 facilities in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana that have earned 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification.

“The Nutrient Stewardship Council is proud of Gerald Grain Center’s efforts in earning certification in this voluntary program, ” 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 info@oaba.net or call 614-326-7520.

CUTLINES: Gerald Grain Center is now 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certified. Employees pictured include: Front Row (L to R): Greg Peper, Jason Fisher, Tim Eggers, Nate Gerken, Clara Damman; Back Row (L to R): Brad Rosebrock, Ethan Wiechers, Michael Cohrs, Mike Lienau, Jared Upell, Joe Taylor (Not Pictured: Jamie Damman, Noah Kruez)