Red Gold Recognizes Indiana Growers for Stewardship Practices

When Adam Myers looks out over the 4,000 acres of tomatoes, corn, soybeans and sod making up Myers Sod Farm in Seymour, Indiana, he sees more than crops. He sees a legacy.

“I feel that if we take care of the land, it will take care of us and the future generations to come,” Myers says.

That simple philosophy of caring for the land has shaped the farm since it was founded in 2003. Red Gold, the largest privately owned tomato processor in the nation, has worked with local farm families, like the Myers family, for four generations.

Curt Utterback, director of agriculture at Red Gold, knows making high-quality products requires the best-tasting tomatoes. In 2009, the company introduced the Red Gold Stewardship Award. The annual conservation award is presented in partnership with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture to honor growers who prioritize conservation practices that result in better yields and superior flavor.

“The goal is to help highlight the practices already utilized by conservation-minded growers of processing tomatoes,” Utterback says. “While it is optional for growers to participate, we’ve had 100% participation within the program for the past several years.”

Sustainability Successes

ISDA evaluates the Red Gold Stewardship Award entries, conducting on-site inspections of the entire farm and the conservation systems in place. Farms are scored based on the systems they use to protect natural resources. Then, evaluators submit the winners to Red Gold.

“For growers, taking care of their land is important to them, and this program is a formal opportunity to communicate their efforts,” Utterback says.

Myers Sod Farm won the Red Gold Stewardship Award in 2020 for its sustainable practices. Conservation efforts at the farm include grid soil sampling, GPS fertilizer and chemical applications, vegetative field borders, water sediment control basins, and drainage tiling. Efforts that support sustainability also benefit the farm, with Myers noting that prioritizing conservation comes with significant cost savings.

Though the award focuses on tomato production, Myers Sod Farm is not a single-crop operation. The farm rotates tomatoes with sod, corn and soybeans, and Myers has applied the same conservation principles across all fields. The full-farm commitment is exactly what the Red Gold Stewardship Award aims to highlight.

Cultivating Excellence

The Red Gold Stewardship Award comes with more than just a plaque. First-place winners receive a $1,500 scholarship and the option to ship an additional truckload per day during harvest season, while second-place winners earn a $750 scholarship and a half truckload bonus. There is also a second-chance drawing for all growers who enter the program contest to win an extra load per load day during harvest.

“The growers only harvest so many loads of tomatoes per day, and that is determined by the size of their contract,” Utterback explains. “Because the processing facilities can only process so much per day – unlike corn and soybeans – we cannot store them outside or in bins. So if a grower by contract is supposed to pick five loads per day every day, getting this extra load or half load added to their original schedule is a big deal.” Myers appreciated the perks but acknowledges the recognition itself was also meaningful.

“We value conservation and appreciate the opportunity to be part of the Red Gold community of farmers,” he says. “We were honored to be chosen amongst other great Red Gold members, and we’re happy to collaborate with Red Gold and foster a productive working relationship.”