Helena’s Berne, Indiana, Location Completes Indiana’s Year Three 4R Certification Program

BERNE, IND. -  The 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Program has announced that Helena’s facility in Berne, Indiana, has achieved Year Three certification. 4R is a voluntary certification program that looks at the commitment of businesses to achieving a rigorous set of standards for nutrient management practices, which benefit the environment and their customers’ crop production and business goals.

“Helena’s primary goal is to help our customers succeed,” said Bill Klein, area branch manager at Helena. “The 4R Certification program and the 4Rs fit Helena’s theme of ‘People…Products…Knowledge’ to a tee – we are committed to providing our customers with the tools they need for success!”

The program certifies that nutrient service providers and agricultural retailers in Indiana - who apply or make recommendations on how nutrients should be applied to crops - are doing so in accordance with 4R Nutrient Stewardship principles: using the Right Source of Nutrients at the Right Rate and Right Time in the Right Place. Program participants must go through an annual, independent, third-party audit and demonstrate that they not only understand 4R principles, but also follow them. 

“The 4R Certification program was identified in 2011 as a key strategy by members of Indiana Agriculture Nutrient Alliance, a membership that includes ACI, IN- NRCS, commodity organizations, Indiana Farm Bureau, Purdue University, and The Nature Conservancy (TNC), to encourage and highlight proactive efforts agribusiness partners utilize to optimize nutrient inputs,” said Mike Dunn, director of freshwater conservation programs for TNC and chair of the Indiana Nutrient Stewardship Council. “I am excited to see the program’s continued success and growth, congratulations to Helena in Berne for their continued commitment to the 4Rs and becoming Year Three certified.”

“The 4R Nutrient Stewardship program leans on scientific and proven practices that benefit the farmer and our society,” said ACI President & CEO Bruce Kettler. “Agribusiness Council of Indiana members are an integral part of helping their farmer customers set and obtain their production goals. These businesses bring value to their communities by making sharing the latest environmental stewardship practices such as 4R.”

The 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Program is governed and guided by the Nutrient Stewardship Council, a diverse set of stakeholders from business, government, university and non-governmental sectors with a common goal of maintaining agricultural productivity while also improving soil health and water quality. The program is administered by the Agribusiness Council of Indiana. For more information, visit https://www.inagribiz.org/indiana4rcertification.