What Farmers for Sustainable Food does

Farmers for Sustainable Food (FSF) is a collaborative 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2016 and headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin. FSF functions as a platform that connects dairy and crop farmers, farmer-led watershed conservation groups, dairy processors (Agropur, Grande Cheese), food companies (Nestlé, General Mills, Cargill), environmental NGOs (The Nature Conservancy), financial institutions (Compeer Financial, GreenStone Farm Credit), and government entities (Wisconsin DATCP) to share data and collaborate on sustainability projects across Wisconsin and Minnesota. The organization directly supports 8-10 farmer-led conservation groups and, as of 2024-2025, ~321-400 farmers managing roughly 255,000-394,000 acres and 450,000 livestock.

FSF's core technology is its Framework for Farm-Level Sustainability Projects, described as a first-of-its-kind methodology for documenting the environmental and financial effects of on-farm conservation practices. The organization deploys this framework via three principal product lines: the Farm-Level Sustainability Projects Framework itself, the USDA-funded Climate-Smart Program (a five-year program establishing farmer-led projects focused on greenhouse gas reduction and carbon sequestration), and EmPower+ (launched November 2025 with Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, offering processor-led whole-farm GHG measurement, reporting, and verification aligned with the global GHG Protocol). Supporting tools include the Fieldprint Platform (using Field to Market metrics across GHG emissions, energy use, biodiversity, soil carbon, and water quality), the Prioritize, Target and Measure Application (PTMA) for watershed impact, and full-farm GHG performance metrics with third-party verification. FSF also publishes the Producer-Led Group Roadmap guide, hosts field days and the Dairy Stream podcast, and provides farmer media training.

FSF's revenue model combines tiered annual membership dues ($500 individual farmers, $1,000 farmer-led groups, $2,000 supporters, $5,000 general members, $10,000 commodity organizations), tax-deductible donations, and government grants, primarily the USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant administered through Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative. Customer segments span dairy/crop farmers (primary), farmer-led watershed groups (primary), dairy processors, CPG/food companies, agricultural financial institutions, and environmental NGOs. Distribution occurs through the farmer-led group network, direct membership, and processor-led partnership channels; go-to-market blends community-led organizing, event-driven engagement (field days, Dairy Strong conference, webinars), and sales-led outreach.

Name

Farmers for Sustainable Food

Legal name

Farmers for Sustainable Food

Website

https://farmersforsustainablefood.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Farmers for Sustainable Food is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit platform that supports farmer-led watershed conservation groups across Wisconsin and Minnesota, delivering sustainability frameworks, USDA-funded climate programs, and GHG measurement services to farmers, dairy processors, and food companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Sustainability Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry (115), Support Activities for Animal Production (115210), Support Activities for Crop Production (1151)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dairy Farm Environmental Compliance & Sustainability Programs (AFAEACAM), Climate-Smart Farming & GHG Reduction (Emissions Accounting, Methane/N2O Reduction Practices) (AFAGAMAH), Regenerative Agriculture (Soil Carbon, Cover Crops, Reduced/No-Till) (AFAGAMAA), Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD), Pasture-Based & Grazing Dairy Systems (AFAEACAI)

Keywords

• Sustainable agriculture programs
• Farmer-led conservation
• Watershed stewardship services
• Farm sustainability framework
• GHG emissions reduction

Headquarters

HQ city

Green Bay

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: FSF generates revenue through tiered membership fees: General members (processors, suppliers, NGOs, CPG companies) pay $5,000, Commodity organizations pay $10,000, Farmer-led groups pay $1,000, Individual farmers pay $500, and Supporters pay $2,000.
2. Donations: FSF accepts donations from individuals and organizations supporting sustainable agriculture. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, making donations tax-deductible.
3. USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Grant: Initial funding for the Climate-Smart Program comes from a U.S. Department of Agriculture Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant awarded to Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative and administered by FSF.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Farmers for Sustainable Food provides a first-of-its-kind Framework for Farm-Level Sustainability Projects that helps farmers document the environmental and financial effects of conservation practices, delivers USDA-funded Climate-Smart and EmPower+ programs for whole-farm GHG reduction on dairy farms, and offers comprehensive support services to farmer-led watershed conservation groups across the Upper Midwest.

Product overview

Farmers for Sustainable Food is a collaborative, industry-supported nonprofit organization (established 2016) that promotes and supports farmer-led solutions to environmental challenges. The organization operates as a platform providing resources, frameworks, programs, and support services to farmer-led watershed conservation groups. Core offerings include: the Farm-Level Sustainability Projects Framework (a nationally recognized methodology for documenting conservation practices), the Climate-Smart Program (a USDA-funded 5-year program for GHG reduction), and EmPower+ (a whole-farm approach to lowering emissions). The organization also provides direct services to farmer-led groups including administration support, media training, and communications assistance, and supports multiple sustainability projects (PPF, LASA) that provide data-driven insights to participating farmers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Framework for Farm-Level Sustainability Projects A first-of-its-kind methodology that helps farmers determine which conservation practices are most effective for their individual farms and document environmental and financial effects. Replicable nationally and designed for use in projects across regions.
• Climate-Smart Program A USDA-funded five-year program establishing farmer-led projects to document conservation practices aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and storing carbon in soil. Offers tiered participation (Contributor $1,500, Cultivator $4,500, Collaborator $9,000 annually) and processor-led sub-projects.
• EmPower+ Program A whole-farm approach to lowering greenhouse gas emissions on dairy farms that bridges on-farm innovation with the environmental goals of the dairy value chain. Offers data support services and a portfolio of production efficiency solutions with GHG accounting methodology to measure, report, and verify emission reductions at the farm level.
• Farmer-Led Group Support Services Comprehensive services package for farmer-led watershed conservation groups including administration, event planning, communications/marketing, fundraising support, strategy, technical support, project development/management, and partnerships.
• Producer-Led Group Roadmap A collaborative guide created with Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and The Nature Conservancy for farmers looking to form a conservation group.
• Farmer Media Training Training program to prepare farmers for media interviews, teaching best practices and providing practice through mock TV, radio, and print interviews.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduction of 30,839 metric tons of CO2e equivalents (2024) and 28,918 metric tons (2025), equivalent to emissions from 7,342 and 6,885 cars respectively
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Edge Dairy Farmer CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023FSF is affiliated with Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sharing CEO Tim Trotter. Edge administers the USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant funding FSF's Climate-Smart Program. FSF and Edge co-launched the EmPower+ program for whole-farm GHG emission reduction on dairy farms.
• ZoetiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative project between FSF, Zoetis, and 8 aligned farms focused on demonstrating how genetic improvement through CLARIFIDE Plus correlates to profitability, methane intensity reduction, antibiotic usage reduction, and feed efficiency. Study showed $1,552 lifetime profit per cow and 43% reduction in antibiotic usage.
• Houston Engineering, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental consulting firm providing data analysis for FSF sustainability projects. Drew Kessler serves as principal and environmental sector lead on FSF board. Analyzed conservation survey data and climate-smart program results using tools like COMET-Planner.
• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal environmental nonprofit providing environmental insights and funding support for farmer-led conservation projects. Steve Richter, TNC's Wisconsin director of agriculture strategies, participates in projects. Co-authored the Framework for Farm-Level Sustainability Projects.
• Grande Cheese CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian cheese manufacturer partnering on sustainability projects and Climate-Smart Program. Dr. Paul Rapnicki works with farms supplying to Grande on farm-level sustainability strategies. Grande launched a processor-led project within the FSF Climate-Smart Program.
• Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with FSF to create the Producer-Led Group Roadmap guide for farmers looking to form conservation groups. Rachel Rushmann serves as Producer-led Program manager.
• AgropurcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDairy processor working with over 300 farms; Trevor Fleege serves as Director of Milk Procurement on FSF board. Agropur has provided financial support for sustainability projects.
• Innovation Center for U.S. DairycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry organization that awarded Outstanding Supply Chain Collaboration award to FSF and partners. Provides project funding support.
• Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance providing the Fieldprint Platform used for sustainability assessments. Awarded Collaboration of the Year award to FSF and partners.
• Dairy Business AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDairy industry organization; FSF managing director Lauren Brey transitioned to Chief Experience Officer for the Voice of Milk collaboration including DBA.
• Minnesota Milk Producers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState dairy organization in FSF membership, part of Voice of Milk multi-state collaboration.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy: Pre-competitive dairy industry organization that awarded FSF its 2021 Outstanding Supply Chain Collaboration award and funds sustainability projects. Comparable as a cross-value-chain convening body advancing U.S. dairy sustainability, though with broader remit than FSF.
• The Nature Conservancy: Global environmental nonprofit that co-authored FSF's Framework for Farm-Level Sustainability Projects and provides funding and technical expertise on farmer-led conservation. Comparable as a large-scale, science-driven nonprofit working on agricultural sustainability outcomes.

Direct peers

• Soil Health Institute: Nonprofit focused on soil health research, measurement, and adoption. Comparable as a science-driven sustainability nonprofit serving farmers with measurement frameworks, paralleling FSF's GHG and soil-carbon data work.
• American Farmland Trust: Nonprofit dedicated to protecting farmland and promoting sustainable farming practices. Comparable mission (farmer-led conservation, soil and water quality) and similarly works at the intersection of agriculture, environment, and policy.
• Soil Health Partnership (NFMS): Farmer-led initiative promoting soil health and conservation practices on working farmland. Comparable as a farmer-led, data-driven sustainability program, with similar measurement and outcome-reporting models to FSF's framework.
• National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition: Alliance of grassroots sustainable agriculture organizations advocating for federal policy reform. Comparable as a nonprofit coalition advancing sustainable agriculture through farmer engagement, policy work, and coalition-building.
• Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture: Multi-stakeholder alliance that provides the Fieldprint Platform metrics FSF uses for on-farm sustainability assessments. Highly comparable: both convene farmers, agribusinesses, and CPGs around field-level sustainability measurement and benchmarking.

Regional players

• Wisconsin Farmers Union: Wisconsin-based farmer-led organization advocating for sustainable agriculture, rural communities, and family farms. Comparable as a regional farmer-led sustainability advocate, though focused more on policy and cooperative development than on-farm data programs.

Others

• Dairy Business Association: Wisconsin-based dairy trade association that is part of the Voice of Milk collaboration with FSF. Comparable as a dairy value-chain convener rather than a direct sustainability-services competitor.
• Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative: Dairy cooperative that shares CEO Tim Trotter with FSF and administers the USDA climate-smart grant. Comparable as a closely allied dairy industry organization rather than a competitor; functions as FSF's primary delivery partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/farmers-for-sustainable-food

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Farmers for Sustainable Food