Despite the popularity of organic foods in the United States, only 1% of American farmland is certified organic. General Mills recognized this problem and is doing their part to help, by partnering with Midwestern BioAg to transform the 34,000 acres of Gunsmoke Farms in Fort Pierre into 53 square miles of certified organic farmland by 2020.
In the United States, farms must follow strict guidelines for three years before being classified as organic, a large financial burden on many U.S. farmers. Through the partnership, General Mills and Midwestern BioAg will provide on-the-ground mentorship and offer other farmers educational programs on how to implement organic practices. Once complete, Gunsmoke will be one of the largest organic row-crop farms in the country.
“We continue to seek ways to partner with land owners to make organic ingredients more accessible for existing and innovative new foods that our consumers have grown to expect,” said John Church, chief supply chain officer at General Mills.