FRANKENMUTH, MICH. — Star of the West Milling Co. is partnering with Improvin’ to launch a new digital platform to support its work with grower programs and sustainability data management. The Frankenmuth-based company also is launching a sustainable tracking of agronomic resources (STAR) program, a wheat sustainability program focused on the Maumee River watershed, an agricultural region encompassing parts of Indiana, Ohio and southern Michigan.

Improvin’ provides food brands, mills and processors with digital infrastructure to collect primary data and quantify sustainability insights. The digital platform will streamline growers’ participation in multiple programs and support the operation of Star of the West’s STAR program. Growers under the new program have financial incentives for tracking and reporting farm-level data and for adopting practices such as reduced tillage, improved nutrient management and the use of cover crops. The platform combines modeled data from sources such as satellite imagery with farmer validation, which allows farmers to confirm mostly pre-populated information rather than manually entering all details.

“Much of the critical information we need from our growers is scattered across various systems, paper files and handwritten notes,” said Lisa Woodke, sustainability director at Star of the West. “This platform automates the tedious data-entry work, saving us and our growers valuable time.”

A dedicated Star of the West adviser will assist each farm. In addition to on-farm grower-validated data, on-farm soil sampling will be conducted to track soil health scores.

The STAR program will focus on baselining and improving nitrogen use efficiency through data tracking and introducing practices like split nitrogen application, nitrogen stabilizers and cover crops.

“We’re thrilled to launch this initiative,” Woodke said. “Optimizing nitrogen efficiency is an important factor in improved water quality. I’m also personally excited to see the progress and share key data points with the participating food brands. This is the first time we’ll have real-time dashboards for this type of work, giving us invaluable insights into the program’s effectiveness.”