Field to Field: Baseball Lessons for Sustainable Agriculture (Part 4)

More Than the Game: The Ripple Effects of Agriculture and Stadiums

This is the fourth edition in my ongoing series connecting baseball and agriculture, two fields where the real impact happens outside the lines.

If you’ve ever been to a game in a downtown stadium, you’ve seen it: The restaurants hum with energy before first pitch. Shops stay open late. Bars buzz long after the crowd clears. And when a city invests in a ballpark, upgrading seating, adding lights, improving concessions, it rarely stops there. Infrastructure follows. Sidewalks are poured. Transit improves. Developers show up. A field of play becomes a force of progress.

Now zoom out… way out… to a different kind of “field.”

Here in rural America, we don’t have retractable roofs or 50,000 fans on a Friday night. But we do have fields… fields of wheat, soybeans, corn, cotton, sorghum (milo), sunflowers, and hay, and they power our communities in ways just as important as any big-league ballpark.

Where I live in Sterling, Kansas, agriculture is the stadium. It’s the engine that funds the schools, the restaurants, the church roof, and the gym lights. And the ripple effects from those fields reach further than most people realize.

When Agriculture Wins, the Whole Town Wins

A strong season doesn’t just fill bins, it fills classrooms, shops, and main street parking spots.

• Teachers stay.

• Classrooms get updated.

• The basketball team gets new uniforms. (They just won state!)

• The music program has money for another trumpet.

You can trace those wins directly back to the field. In a rural economy, agriculture is the foundation of everything else. And when farmers are supported in doing things sustainably, both economically and environmentally, that foundation only grows stronger.

We’ve talked about sustainability in terms of carbon, yield, and crop rotation, but what if those improvements could also help fund the infrastructure that communities actually use?

Imagine what this could look like in a small town. Sterling College, Sterling High School, and Junior High all share the same football stadium. What if a group of mission-aligned businesses, whether they’re sourcing ag products or securing carbon offsets, partnered with farmers in a 5-year commitment that also helped fund local infrastructure like turf fields?

• Less water use

• Statistically fewer injuries

• More shared access across seasons and schools

• Lower maintenance costs over time

Water savings alone can be substantial. A natural grass field can require 20,000–50,000 gallons per week during the growing season. That’s not just expensive, it’s a stressor on rural water systems, many of which already serve both farms and municipalities.

Now imagine the offset: a turf field that reduces local water draw, while regenerative ag upstream improves soil water retention. That’s a full-circle win. And it ties directly into something that lives just beyond our fencerows.

Wetlands: The Ecosystems Depending on Us

Just down the road from Sterling are two of the most important interior wetlands in the United States, Quivira National Wildlife Refuge and Cheyenne Bottoms. These aren’t just pretty places to watch birds. They’re globally recognized stopovers for migratory waterfowl, designated under the Ramsar Convention (bet even the locals didn’t know that) as wetlands of international importance.

Millions of birds, including whooping cranes, sandhill cranes, ducks, geese, and shorebirds, depend on these ecosystems every year. They’re also a draw for hunters, birdwatchers, students, and scientists. And they sit within an active, working agricultural region. Which means their health is tied to ours.

Wetlands like Quivira and Cheyenne Bottoms rely on groundwater and surface water decisions made by farmers, cities, and agencies across the region. The way we manage irrigation, runoff, and nutrient applications upstream directly shapes what survives downstream.

If ag practices become more efficient, through reduced tillage, better nutrient timing, improved water use, or precision application, we’re not just supporting yields. We’re protecting one of the most vibrant wildlife corridors in the country.

And here’s the key point for those watching from beyond the farm: Healthy wetlands protect the supply chain. They buffer floods, filter water, store carbon, and maintain biodiversity, all things that matter to the long-term resilience of ag production. And the more extreme our climate becomes, the more that resilience matters.

Shared Commitment, Shared Impact

A five-year turf partnership tied to regenerative agriculture isn't just a cool idea, it’s a blueprint for visible, scalable impact. When you tie sustainability to something tangible and local, you unlock a different kind of return.

Consider what each group stands to gain:

For Mission-Aligned Businesses (CPGs, tech companies, climate investors):

• Demonstrated commitment to rural resilience and community investment

• Tax credit potential through verified Scope 3 reductions and eligible infrastructure giving

• Enhanced supply chain visibility, loyalty, and long-term security

• A differentiated brand story with real, human proof points

For Farmers:

• Increased access to carbon markets and premium programs

• More resilient soil and water systems supporting long-term yield and cost control

• Recognition as stewards, not just producers

• Inclusion in a forward-thinking supply chain without losing autonomy

For Students and Communities:

• Reduced strain on shared water systems

• Improved athletic experiences and safer playing conditions

• Infrastructure that brings schools and towns together

• A lasting symbol of what sustainability can do when it’s real

For Regenerative Agriculture and Wildlife:

• Healthier wetlands and migratory corridors supported by upstream practices

• Greater biodiversity and long-term ecosystem services

• Proof that agriculture can serve both the economy and the environment

• A supply chain protected not just by inputs, but by intention

This Is What Real Sustainability Looks Like

At Globally Responsible Production (GRP), we talk about sustainability as something far more expansive than a single carbon report or Scope 3 target. Because the truth is, sustainability only works when it benefits everyone it touches.

It’s not just about doing less harm. It’s about doing more good.

We believe:

• Verified farm practices should generate economic returns for farmers and measurable gains for their buyers.

• Communities should feel the results - not just read about them.

• Wildlife and wetlands aren’t fringe - they’re foundational to long-term ag viability.

• And when we do this right, we unlock a new kind of infrastructure - not just around the farm, but around the town.

The value created in a regenerative supply chain doesn’t need to end at the elevator. It can roll forward, into ecosystems, into education, into the next generation of rural life.

Because when ag wins, it shouldn't be quiet. It should be visible.

Coming Full Circle

In baseball, the team on the field is only part of the story. The fans, sponsors, and ownership often shape the direction of a franchise just as much, if not more, than the players. Who gets called up. What plays get backed. Which strategies are funded.

Sound familiar?

In our next edition, we’ll talk about the ag equivalent of fans and sponsors, the businesses, policymakers, and consumers who are shaping what sustainability means for agriculture.

Because if they don't understand the game we're playing, or the ripple effects at stake, then we’re building programs that won’t last beyond the seventh-inning stretch.

What Are You Seeing?

What ripple effects have you seen when agriculture thrives, or when it struggles? What would it look like if sustainability programs started with those downstream impacts in mind?

Let’s keep the conversation going. I’d love to hear your take. And if you want to figure out how to make this a reality send me a note. Let's change the game together!