 |
|
|
 The Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops seeks your participation in our 2011-2012 “pilot” effort and asks that you consider working with us to develop and refine the methods for measuring and communicating performance on key environmental indicators. By participating in the SISC pilot, growers can make an important contribution in shaping stewardship metrics for their industry, driving forward both consistency in approach and methodology as well as ensuring that the metrics themselves are practical and meaningful for growers. While hundreds of SISC stakeholders have participated in developing these metrics, there is no substitute for first-hand, on-the-ground experience. Learning from on-farm pilots in 2010 proved invaluable, and resulted in significant changes to the draft metrics. By forging consensus among leading growers, buyers, and public interest organizations, SISC is poised to define the industry approach and reduce the potential for a proliferation of similar-but-different sustainability reporting systems. In addition, we expect that many SISC pilot participants will learn from the process of participating in the pilot. To the extent that there are enough participants in any given crop and region to provide anonymity and useful information, SISC expects to share the anonymized results with pilot participants to enable peer-to-peer comparison which in turn can lead to improvement and efficiencies in individual operations. We encourage you to consider engaging with the SISC and our ongoing work to develop a meaningful approach to “sustainability” in the specialty crop sector by participating in the 2011-2012 pilot process. It is only through the direct experience and feedback from growers that a meaningful program can be developed for the benefit of individual businesses and the industry at large. This page contains all pilot materials and details on the pilot process and expectations. To get started, please sign and return page six of the Confidentiality Policy to indicate your official participation in the pilot. We request that all 2011 pilot data be collected and returned by January 16, 2012. Contact: Jessica Siegal Invitation to PilotPlease read this document and share it with other potential pilot participants. It explains the purpose, process, goals, components, and timeframe of the 2011-2012 pilot. It also contains a summary of the metrics and data items growers will be asked for to complete the pilot. User Guide for the Stewardship Index Metric Calculator (Beta Version 1.1)The Guide contains detailed descriptions of each metric, directions for inputting your data into the calculator, and background notes and references on the methodologies that make the calculator function. We recommend you read the Guidance section of this document carefully before beginning to use the metric calculator. Reading this in advance is the key to having a productive pilot experience. It is available here in its entirety and broken into nine sections. Full Guide User’s Guide to SISC Farm Level Metrics and Calculator Guide Sections I. Introduction Stewardship Index Metric Calculator (Beta Version 1.1)For your convenience, we are providing Microsoft Excel 2003 and 2007 versions of the metric calculator, and an example calculator already populated with data from a fictional double-crop scenario (lettuce and broccoli). We recommend that you “click through” this example before beginning to upload your farm data to the blank calculator. Please download the appropriate blank Excel calculator and use it as described in the User Guide to submit your data for the Stewardship Index pilot. Note: The password for these files is "SISC" . If you are using a Mac, download the year that is appropriate depending on the version of Microsoft Office for Macs on your computer. Excel 2003 Metric Calculator – Lettuce & Broccoli Example |
|||||||
Home | About | Current Participants | Get Involved | Contact Us Copyright © 2008-2012, Stewardship Index For Specialty Crops. All Rights Reserved. Website Design by JVF Consulting. |
