Good Culture, DFA partner to further commitment to people, animals and the planet
The Path to Pasture program will help create a more sustainable pasture-raised milk supply using regenerative farming practices with a focus on planned grazing.
As a 1% for the Planet member, Good Culture, an Irvine, Calif.-based cultured dairy brand that aims to make real healing foods available to all, said it partnered with Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), Kansas City, Kan., to create the Path to Pasture program. The program will help support soil health and utilization of pasture on family dairy farms.
Through the Path to Pasture program, with DFA’s sustainability team and associated nonprofits, funds from Good Culture will be leveraged to provide farmers with education on and access to sustainable, regenerative agriculture farming practices that are critical in delivering nutrient-dense foods to the masses. The Path to Pasture pilot program will initially be offered to farmers located in the Minnesota and Wisconsin milkshed that are interested in enhancing soil or pasture health, Good Culture said. Initial outreach and commitments began in 2020, with implementation of new resources and processes to start in spring 2021. Consultations will continue through mid-summer 2021, with implementation for those in the program to follow in the fall.
“At Good Culture, we are committed to creating good for people, animals and the planet, and soil health and regenerative agriculture play a vital role in this,” said founder Jesse Merrill. “Through the Path to Pasture program and our partnership with DFA, we aim to support farmers by providing them access to regenerative agriculture farming resources which will create healthier soil, grow more nutrient-dense foods, ensure that our animals are outside on pasture and sequester carbon.”
Through Good Culture’s long standing membership with 1% for the Planet, the brand also works with Kiss The Ground to provide access to scholarships for soil health training and testing. With each cup of organic Good Culture sold, 1% of the sales goes toward transitioning conventional farms to regenerative agriculture practices with a focus on planned grazing, the company said. Since 2017, 14 scholarships have been awarded to farmers and producers.
“DFA and our farm family-owners are committed to sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint,” said David Darr, senior vice president and chief strategy and sustainability officer for DFA. “Continuous improvements in soil health, including development of pasture, are important parts of our overall sustainability strategy. We are excited to establish Path to Pasture as a new program to educate, share best practices and promote continuous improvement with our members.”
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