Partnership with Practical Farmers of Iowa to cut fertilizer usage on 3,000 acres
BEDMINSTER, N.J., April 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Applegate Farms, LLC, maker of APPLEGATE®, the nation’s leading natural and organic meat brand, today announced a partnership with Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI) to reduce nitrogen fertilizer use on 3,000 acres of farmland in the Midwest. The $50,000 investment is a cornerstone of the company’s Groundwork initiative, which works to help farmers transition to more environmentally sustainable practices and boost biodiversity on agricultural lands.
The program, formally called the N Rate Risk Protection program, is open to conventional corn farmers willing to reduce their use of nitrogen fertilizer by approximately 20 pounds per acre. All farmers will receive a per-acre stipend for participation; those confronting lower yields due to the reduction will be compensated. Applications are open now and will be accepted through April.
Farmers enrolled in the program will supply feed to mills that serve Applegate livestock producers. Throughout the program, PFI will track and document the successful on-farm practices that support reduced fertilizer use. A tally of total reductions in nitrogen application and associated decreases in greenhouse gas emissions will be shared by Applegate in 2027.
“This program is the embodiment of Applegate’s pragmatic approach to our mission: Changing The Meat We Eat®,” said Carolyn Gahn, Applegate’s senior director of mission and advocacy. “It lessens the financial risk for farmers to do what they want to do anyway—minimize environmental impact and save money. We’re grateful to work with PFI to create a rare win-win for farmers.”
Reducing nitrogen fertilizer application lowers input costs for farmers while also helping to address environmental harms that scientific authorities say are associated with fertilizer runoff, including water pollution and the expansion of “dead zones” in the Gulf of Mexico.
“Nitrogen is a vital crop nutrient, but when more is applied than the crop can use, it can move into waterways and impact wildlife, people and aquatic ecosystems,” said Chelsea Ferrie, PFI’s crop nutrition systems manager. “By helping farmers find their optimal nitrogen rates, we can support both farm profitability and improve environmental outcomes.”
Financial risk remains one of the biggest barriers to change in agriculture. By providing a form of yield-loss protection to farmers willing to try a new approach, the N Rate Risk Protection program allows corn growers to experiment with lower nitrogen applications while protecting their bottom line and building long-term farm resilience.
“Applegate’s Groundwork initiative is about exactly that — laying the groundwork for a more sustainable food system, one farm at a time,” said Gahn. “We see this partnership with PFI as a model for how food companies can put their money where their mission is.”
About Applegate Farms, LLC
Founded in 1987, Applegate Farms, LLC produces high-quality natural and organic hot dogs, bacon, sausages, deli meats, and frozen products. Our products are sourced from animals raised with no antibiotics ever and from farms where animals are treated with care and respect, pursuant to our Applegate Humanely Raised* guidelines. Our commitment to high standards is all part of our mission: Changing The Meat We Eat®.
Natural can mean many things, but to Applegate natural means our food is:
- Sourced from animals that are Applegate Humanely Raised* without antibiotics, added hormones or growth promotants, and allowed to grow at their natural rate
- From animals fed a vegetarian or pasture-centered diet (our beef is 100 percent grass-fed)
- Free of synthetic nitrates or nitrites
- Free of artificial ingredients
Applegate became a stand-alone subsidiary of Hormel Foods in July 2015. For more information about our products, visit www.applegate.com or talk with us on https://www.instagram.com/applegate, send a text to (908) 725-5800.
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SOURCE APPLEGATE
