Pet health has been in our nature since 1926. We source quality ingredients to craft nutrient-rich foods that nourish our pets, so they can live vibrant, energetic lives. Growing nutritious ingredients starts with soil. It is one of our most precious natural resources – but the world is losing healthy soil.
That’s why on World Soil Day 2022, the NUTRO™ brand launched the GREATER GROUND™ program to help grow awareness of the importance of healthy soil and to encourage farmers within the NUTRO™ supply network to adopt healthy soil practices.
Through the GREATER GROUND™ program, we made a $5 million commitment at the end of 2023 to provide farmers in our network with training, support and funding to help with the implementation of healthy soil practices over the next 5 years.
Why NUTRO™ Created the GREATER GROUND™ Program
How Does GREATER GROUND™ Encourage The Adoption Of Healthy Soil Practices?
We’re on a Journey to Make a Difference.
We believe that growers know what’s best for their farms – which is why we are collaborating with select growers and suppliers to learn how we can best support their transition to healthy soil practices.
To make an impact, we offer:
Soil Education
With our partner Understanding Ag, we offer custom, localized training for selected growers within our supply network on ways they can adopt healthy soil practices. We also work to pair select growers with a mentor to help build confidence on their journey to adopt healthy soil practices.
As of December 2025, the NUTRO Greater Ground program has provided 262 hours of soil health education (formerly referred to as "Soil Scholarships") to 112 unique farmers through field days, workshops and/or one-on-one expert consultations. We look forward to continuing this work in 2026 and beyond!
Soil Growth Grants
Through our Soil Growth Grants, we provide financial support each year to help selected growers within our supply network with the transition costs needed to implement healthy soil practices.
In 2023, we awarded our inaugural Soil Growth Grant to Schiff Farms Inc. in the amount of $150,000 for the purchase of an interseeder to plant cover crops. Views of our animated short fable, Tail of Two Farms, drove the increase of the amount of 2024 Soil Growth Grants offered to $300,000. These funds were awarded between 3 farmers: Megan Bishop of Bishop Farms for the purchase of a cover crop broadcast seeder and cover crop seed, Trey Hill of Harborview Farms for a roller crimper, and Tyler Zimmerman of Zimmerman Farms for a roller crimper and cover crop seed.
For 2025, we’re excited to announce $1 million in Soil Growth Grant funds were awarded across 9 grantees:
- Dusty Amann, Hannaford, ND – High-wheel spreader
- Megan Bishop, Felton, DE – Multi-species cover crop seed
- Dale Blessing, Felton, DE – No-till drill
- Jade Friesz, Flasher, ND – Vertical tillage machine
- Trey Hill, Rock Hall, MD – No-till drill
- Ryan Hough, Barnesville, MN – Roller crimper
- Blake Murray, Froid, MT – Stripper header
- Chris Walberg, Leonard, ND – Strip freshener machine
- Tyler Zimmerman, Leonard, ND – Cover crop seeder
Our Soil Growth Grant program will continue in 2026 with $1 million in funding available for participating farmers. Stay tuned for the announcement of future grantees next December!
Soil Partnerships
To encourage growers to adopt more healthy soil practices, we believe we need to develop strategic relationships with our existing suppliers. Our ambition is to incorporate more healthy-soil ingredients into our food over time, and we’re still at the early stages of that journey. Currently, some of our barley, oats, and peas are sourced from a supplier in the Greater Ground program that works with their growers to promote healthy soil practices. We are exploring our ability to increase, over the years, the amount of our ingredients sourced from suppliers who are promoting healthy soil practices.
Why Healthy Soil Matters
Healthy soil is a vital ecosystem that sustains plants, animals and humans.
A GLOBAL SOIL CRISIS
MORE THAN JUST DIRT
PRECIOUS TO OUR FOOD SYSTEM
Our GREATER GROUND Supplier Spotlight
We believe that working with our suppliers is critical to encouraging growers to adopt healthy soil practices.
Healthy
Food Ingredients, LLC
Anchor
Ingredients
Our Partners
How do we try to make a difference on an issue as big and urgent as soil health? One step at a time. It's a journey, and we can’t do it alone. That’s why we’re bringing in the experts.
Understanding AG
Understanding AG is our Soil Scholarship partner, helping farmers learn how to adopt healthy soil practices through tailored in-person classroom and field sessions and/or one-on-one mentorship.