COLUMBUS, Ohio — The 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Program has announced that the Crop Production Services Delphos facility has been added to its growing list of nutrient service providers to achieve certified status.
The voluntary certification program, now in its fourth 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.
“The 4Rs and the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Program are important steps for agribusiness to take, both to protect our streams and lakes and to keep farms productive and profitable,” said Gary Mack, long-time crop consultant for CPS Delphos. “Following the 4R guidelines helps agriculture to do its part in reducing its share of nutrients in streams and rivers.”
The CPS Delphos facility has been in operation since 1963 and became part of the CPS family in 2006. Services include crop protection products, seed, fertilizer, soil and plant analysis, GPS base soil sampling, VRT application as well as abroad range of crop scouting and recommendations. The facility has nine full-time employees, as well as several part-time employees. The staff includes three Certified Crop Advisers.
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 2.8 million acres and nearly 6,000 grower customers are serviced by the 44 facilities in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana that have earned 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification.
“The Nutrient Stewardship Council is proud of the CPS Delphos facility’s efforts in earning certification in this voluntary program, ” said Carrie-Vollmer Sanders, Nutrient Stewardship Council chairwoman.
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.
— Ohio AgriBusiness Association