How We Partner With Cascadian Farm

Rethinking Agricultural Practices to Benefit the Planet

January 11, 2021

Davis Ranches Davis Ranches, one of TNC’s pilot partners in California’s Central Valley has implemented the type of work Cascadian Farms is funding since 2019. © John Brennan

Wetlands, open fresh water, and other wild spaces in the central valley of California have been reduced 95% in the past hundred years in order to allow for agricultural development. While converting these wild lands to farmlands has helped with food production, these changes have also resulted in dramatically less groundwater, fewer shorebirds, and higher risk of flooding in local communities.

Rebuilding wildlife habitat and regenerating groundwater on more than 1,100 acres of farmland

Aerial View As part of the multi-benefit recharge project in CA's central valley, carefully flooding fields can provide migratory birds food and habitat while helping recharge groundwater © John Brennan

Panorama View As part of the multi-benefit recharge project in CA's central valley, carefully flooding fields can provide migratory birds food and habitat while helping recharge groundwater © Emily Reinhart

Today, as more shoppers look to support brands who are working to protect the planet, we’re excited to meaningfully invest and live up to that expectation.

Emily Thomas

VP Natural & Organic division at General Mills

Cascadian Farm is working with The Nature Conservancy to support our work to improve agricultural practices in California’s central valley.

Benefiting From Planned Flooding Practices

By encouraging farmers to carefully shallow-flood their fields after the harvest, we can help make the farmland even more useful. With well-planned flooding practices, we can use otherwise dormant farmland to:

Help nature replenish water stores underground
Create pop-up bird habitat for shorebirds migrating on the Pacific Flyway, offering them a place to rest and refuel
Make more room in water reservoirs, helping prevent flooding in local communities after heavy rains

Shorebirds Return Migratory shorebirds forage for food and take a rest at pop-up habitat on a farm in CA's Colusa Valley © John Brennan

Shorebirds Return Migratory shorebirds forage for food and take a rest at pop-up habitat on a farm in CA's Colusa Valley © Emily Reinhart

On-Pack Storytelling

In addition to their contribution to TNC, Cascadian Farm promoted the partnership with on-pack storytelling and information about the program on all Cascadian Farm products from 2021 through 2024. Purchases during the promotion do not increase the contribution to TNC; Cascadian Farm has committed $750,000 to support the Conservancy’s agricultural work.