Soil Health Institute

"If you think you can, you can. If you think you can't, you're right." This quote that Wayne Honeycutt, Ph.D., President of the Soil Health Institute, shared perfectly captures what struck me most about our conversation for this week's Seeds of Hope Podcast episode - the power of showing what's possible. When Wayne shared that his team has established soil health benchmarks across 7 million acres (as of 2023), helping farmers see their soil's true potential, I got goosebumps. It reminded me of the four-minute mile - once Roger Bannister proved it was possible, others followed. Sometimes we need to see what's achievable to push beyond our perceived limits. In this conversation, Wayne explains: - What soil health really means and why every soil's potential is unique to its local context - The Institute's landmark study that established standardized ways to measure soil health - research that's now being implemented by the USDA across all 50 states - Their groundbreaking work in soil health benchmarking, helping farmers understand and unlock their soil's true potential through data from over 7 million+ acres. "When we first started the Institute in 2015, not many people even used the term soil health. Now it's become a business imperative for major food companies." With research on benchmarks and effective measuring both brands and farmers are closer to pushing the limits of what was previously thought impossible. 🎧 Listen to the full conversation: Links in the comments P.S. If you want to join me at the Regenerative Agriculture Series Summit in Chicago in three weeks (March 25th-27th), use my discount code "SOH" for 10% off your registration.

So pleased to be part of the Farms of the Future Experience – and McCain’s commitment to regenerative agriculture!

Farmers are spending more time in their communities and less time plowing – while improving their soils and profitability. That was one insight Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Cristine Morgan shared at #GreenBiz25, where she joined the Strengthening Food Resilience panel with ADM’s Rebecca Buffin, Mars Petcare’s Heidi Koester Oliveira, and HowGood’s Ethan Soloviev.    What was your #GreenBiz highlight?

Join us in Georgia March 11 for a field day focused on soil health for profitability, including discussions on the economics of soil health, marketing strategies, the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, and crop insurance selection in times of weather extremes. For speaker details and to RSVP, check out our blog: https://lnkd.in/d4Djp_Ew

Local farmers gathered in Clio, South Carolina, recently for a field day focused on soil health for profitability. Highlights included: 🌱 SHI Technical Specialist Doug Newton explaining how cover crops recycle nutrients and how he’s used biomass samples to test soil fertility. 🌱SHI Farmer Mentor Pat Rogers sharing how planting cover crops turned an underperforming field into one of his best. 🌱Attendees learning how cover crop mixes can boost soil organic matter and reduce the need for fertilizers and herbicides. 🌱A cover crop seeding equipment display including an air seeder, a turbo till, and a no-till drill. Learn more about the latest U.S. Regenerative Cotton Fund field day: https://lnkd.in/eh6v_Eh4

Are you a cotton farmer in Alabama with questions about cover crops? We’d like to introduce you to Myron Johnson! He’s part of a Farmer Mentor network created by SHI’s U.S. Regenerative Cotton Fund. Johnson is a fourth-generation row crop farmer who grows cotton, wheat, rye, oats, and peanuts and also manages hay ground and pasture for his cow/calf operation. By using rye as a cover crop, he’s noticed that more crop residue on the soil’s surface has helped him improve yields during droughts, increased water infiltration and beneficial soil microorganisms, and lowered soil erosion, evaporation rates, and weed pressure. He’s also invented a cover crop roller and secured a patent for it! If you’d like to connect with any of our Farmer Mentors located in Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Oklahoma, check out our Contacts page: https://lnkd.in/eR8NmgxD

I can't wait for the next session of the Making Cover Crops Pay webinar series.🌱 Friday, 2/14 we'll be joined by Dr. Daniel Liptzin From the Soil Health Institute, who will be discussing top soil health indicators. I hope you'll join us! https://lnkd.in/ebk8vRQH

Farmers and others from the potato industry gathered last month to hear the latest advancements at the Idaho Potato Conference, where SHI Soil Health Educator Dr. Katherine East presented a workshop with colleagues from the University of Idaho and University of Idaho Extension. Dr. East discussed the relationship between soil health and soil pathogens and demonstrated how reduced tillage improves water infiltration. The workshop also covered the free Slakes app for measuring aggregate stability. Dr. East’s presentation was supported through a USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities project led by Oregon State University. https://lnkd.in/gD4Arh7d

Are you a cotton farmer in Alabama and wondering how to implement no-till in your operation? We’d like to introduce you to Annie Dee! She’s part of a Farmer Mentor network created by the U.S. Regenerative Cotton Fund. Dee’s operation consists of row crops and timber and utilizes precision agriculture and energy conservation. Crops are planted using no-till on 30-inch beds and cover crops are implemented to improve soil quality. Their farming practices are constantly modified to improve soil quality and productivity by building soil organic matter. The ranch also engages in collaborations with several universities in irrigation research projects, and crop variety and fungicide trials. If you’d like to connect with any of our Farmer Mentors located in Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Oklahoma, check out our Contacts page: https://lnkd.in/eR8NmgxD

📅 RFP deadline extended! 📅 Soil Health Portal proposals now due by February 21.