ALBION — New Century FS was honored recently by achieving certification from ResponsibleAg. The ResponsibleAg Certification Program is the only program in the nation that provides a voluntary comprehensive assessment of agricultural facilities that store and handle farm input supplies such as fertilizer, crop protection products, seed and fuel. Certification requires that a facility meet stringent regulatory-based criteria, implement industry-leading safety and security measures and uphold facility safety as one of its highest priorities.

Jason Blattner with New Century FS said, “ResponsibleAg certification demonstrates to our community and our customers that we are a safe and responsible partner within the community. The ResponsibleAg assessment was very thorough and an excellent mechanism for ensuring that we are complying with the federal requirements. We take great pride in this third-party certification. It reinforces our commitment to our employees and the community.”

“Participation in ResponsibleAg is voluntary,” said Gary Vogen, chairman of ResponsibleAg, Inc. “It is incumbent on all to ensure we are a safe, responsible and proactive industry. Our hope is to engage our entire industry in this beneficial program over the next few years.”

“Each ResponsibleAg certification is a significant milestone for all of us who have been involved in creating ResponsibleAg, and New Century FS should be proud of this achievement,” said Daren Coppock, President and CEO of the Agricultural Retailers Association, which helped develop and launch the program. “The commitment of retailers to responsibility and safety is evident in this success, and in the thousands of facilities that have already signed up to participate and are working toward certifications of their own.”

More information about ResponsibleAg and its certification process, including a list of agribusinesses that have been successfully certified, are available at www.responsibleag.org.