This crop is a popping success for New Vision Farms – Ohio’s Country Journal

Report on Sustainable Agricultural Practices at New Vision Farms

Introduction and Alignment with SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)

New Vision Farms, an agricultural entity in Napoleon, Ohio, represents a successful model of sustainable economic growth in the rural sector. Formed in 2016 through the merger of three family farms—the Fruth, Rettig, and Schwiebert families—the operation demonstrates a commitment to long-term viability and community support. By combining labor, machinery, and operations, the farm has created a cohesive business that provides stable employment for nine full-time and several part-time staff members. This collaborative business structure directly supports SDG 8 by promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.

The farm’s strategic focus on high-value specialty crops, with popcorn accounting for approximately 45% of its acreage, further enhances its economic resilience and contribution to the local economy.

Innovative Agronomy and Contribution to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger)

New Vision Farms employs advanced agronomic practices to enhance crop resilience and productivity, directly contributing to the targets of SDG 2, which aims to end hunger, achieve food security, and promote sustainable agriculture. The management of their primary crop, popcorn, requires a specialized approach due to its non-GMO nature, which lacks inherent protections against pests and environmental stressors.

• Soil Health and Resource Management: All popcorn acres are strip-tilled to create an ideal seedbed that encourages early root growth and ensures consistent crop emergence. This practice promotes soil health and efficient water use.
• Integrated Pest Management: A meticulous approach to weed and disease control is implemented. This includes multi-pass herbicide programs to manage weed pressure and regular fungicide applications to mitigate risks from humidity and lake-effect weather conditions.
• Crop Resilience: The farm actively addresses agronomic challenges such as stalk standability, particularly during stressful growing seasons, to maximize yields and ensure a stable food supply.

Value Chain Integration and Support for SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)

The farm’s operations are carefully aligned with market demands to ensure responsible production patterns and minimize post-harvest loss, a key component of SDG 12. This is achieved through meticulous quality control from field to processor.

• Precise Harvest Protocols: Combine settings are carefully calibrated to maintain kernel integrity. Harvest is timed to when popcorn moisture is between 18% and 19%, after which it is dried using only ambient airflow to a final popping moisture of 13.5% to 14.5%, meeting specific end-user requirements.
• Market-Specific Production: New Vision Farms grows specific popcorn varieties under contract for designated end-uses, ensuring the product meets consumer needs and reduces waste. Varieties include:
  • High-expansion butterfly varieties for movie theaters.
  • Durable mushroom varieties for coated products like kettle corn.
  • Tender white popcorn for direct consumption.
  • Blended hybrids for microwave popcorn, balancing expansion rates with kernel weight.

Research, Development, and Advancement of SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure)

New Vision Farms has invested in on-site research and development infrastructure, fostering innovation that benefits the broader agricultural industry, in line with SDG 9. The farm operates an extensive test plot and a dedicated post-harvest popping laboratory to drive improvements in crop genetics and performance.

The post-harvest evaluation process in the lab is systematic and precise:

1. A moisture test is conducted on all incoming samples to determine their readiness for popping.
2. Each sample is cleaned, screened, and hand-checked to remove small or cracked kernels, ensuring a pure sample for accurate data collection.
3. A precise weight and kernel count are recorded for each sample before testing.
4. Samples are popped in a specialized industrial popper that maintains strict heat and wattage levels for data consistency.
5. A volumetric displacement test is performed on the popped corn to measure its expansion rate and overall performance.

This on-farm innovation provides critical data that bridges the gap between seed breeders and processors, accelerating the development of more resilient and productive hybrids.

Collaborative Partnerships for Sustainable Development (SDG 17)

The success of New Vision Farms is rooted in its collaborative approach, embodying the spirit of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The farm’s entire operational model is built on partnerships that strengthen the implementation of sustainable development.

• Foundational Partnership: The union of the three founding families created a resilient business entity capable of investing in long-term sustainable practices.
• Value Chain Collaboration: The farm works closely with a network of external partners, including seed companies and processors in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Kentucky.
• Knowledge Sharing: Data generated from the farm’s test plots and popping lab is shared with seed breeders and processors. This transparent exchange of information helps all stakeholders make informed decisions, evaluate genetics, and improve end-use performance, fostering a more sustainable and efficient popcorn industry.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on New Vision Farms highlights practices and business models that connect to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The primary SDGs addressed are:

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger – Focuses on sustainable agriculture, improving productivity, and increasing the income of food producers.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – Relates to the farm’s business success, creation of jobs, and focus on economic productivity through diversification and value addition.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – Connects to the farm’s investment in research and development through on-farm test plots and a specialized popping lab.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – Touches upon sustainable agricultural practices and efficient resource management.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – Is exemplified by the collaborative formation of the farm itself and its partnerships with seed companies and processors.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the activities and strategies described at New Vision Farms, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

• Target 2.3: By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers… The article details how the three families formed New Vision Farms to improve their business. Their focus on a high-value specialty crop like popcorn is a direct strategy to increase income, as noted by the statement, “we try to make a little more money than growing conventional field corn.”
• Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices… The farm implements practices like strip-tillage “to encourage early root growth and consistent emergence” and employs detailed weed, disease, and insect control programs, which are elements of resilient and sustainable agriculture.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Target 8.2: Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation… New Vision Farms grows a diverse range of crops and has made popcorn its primary enterprise to “add value for our landowners, employees and end-users.” Their investment in a popping lab and extensive test plots represents technological upgrading and innovation to boost productivity.
• Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all… The farm contributes to local employment by having “nine full-time staff members and several part-time employees.”

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

• Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors… and encourage innovation. The farm’s on-farm field trials and post-harvest popping lab are clear examples of enhancing scientific research. The article states these trials are “one of the most valuable tools in their popcorn program,” used to evaluate genetics and performance, thereby encouraging innovation in the popcorn industry.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

• Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. The article describes a detail-oriented agronomic approach, including two-pass herbicide programs and regular fungicide applications, which implies a focus on precise and efficient use of inputs to manage resources sustainably.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships… The very formation of New Vision Farms from three family farms is a partnership. Furthermore, the farm actively collaborates with external entities: “We work with everybody from the processors who want to see how the popcorn will perform, to the breeders who are trying to get the processors to buy their genetics.” This sharing of data and knowledge exemplifies a multi-stakeholder partnership.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article implies several indicators that could be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

• Indicator for Target 2.3 (Productivity and Income): The article mentions that popcorn yields are “measured in pounds rather than bushels” and that the crop has a “premium value,” making it a “profitable fit.” An indicator would be the value per acre of popcorn compared to commodity corn, which the farm implicitly tracks to ensure they “make a little more money.”
• Indicator for Target 2.4 (Sustainable Practices): The adoption of specific techniques can be an indicator. The article explicitly states, “all acres are strip-tilled,” making the proportion of agricultural area under sustainable practices (like strip-tillage) a measurable indicator.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Indicator for Target 8.2 (Economic Productivity): The diversification of crops is mentioned, with popcorn accounting for “roughly 45% of New Vision’s acreage.” A key indicator is the percentage of revenue derived from value-added or specialty crops versus commodity crops.
• Indicator for Target 8.5 (Employment): The article provides a direct number: “nine full-time staff members and several part-time employees.” The number of full-time and part-time jobs created and sustained is a direct indicator.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

• Indicator for Target 9.5 (Research and Innovation): The farm’s commitment to R&D is clear. Measurable indicators include the number of popcorn varieties tested annually (“We normally test about 50 varieties a year”) and the investment in research infrastructure, such as the specialized industrial popper and the popping lab itself.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• Indicator for Target 17.17 (Partnerships): The article highlights multiple collaborations. An indicator would be the number of active partnerships with private sector entities (seed companies, processors). The farm works with “several processors in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and along the Indiana–Kentucky border” and shares data with breeders, demonstrating these partnerships.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: ocj.com