By Laura Smith

Farmers for Soil Health aims to increase use of cover crops in 20 states. 

It’s not unusual for agricultural organizations to work together to solve big issues facing farmers, but what Farmers for Soil Health—a collaboration of the national soy checkoff, National Pork Board and National Corn Growers Association—is doing to help farmers achieve sustainability goals may surprise and even shake up the industry (in a good way!). 

Farmers for Soil Health is supporting farmers in solving sustainability issues through a unique, twofold process: direct technical assistance and a new sales platform. Using money awarded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, the commodity organizations are fulfilling the USDA program’s goal to increase production and marketing of sustainably produced crops. Farmers for Soil Health, specifically, aims to increase use of cover crops in 20 states.  

“We’re working on increasing cover crops with technical assistance. We have boots on the ground in every one of those 20 states to help farmers navigate new practices agronomically and business-wise, too,” says Ben West, Farmers for Soil Health executive director. 

West explains that, nationally, cover crops are planted on less than 10% of farmland. Technical assistance can help farmers overcome many barriers to planting cover crops. 

“Cover crops can be tricky and nuanced,” says West. “If a farmer tries cover crops once or twice and is unsuccessful, we know they are unlikely to try again. Giving them on-the-ground help so they have success early on is important.” 

Farmers for Soy Health’s national commodity partners are supporting recruitment and training of local experts through their affiliated state soy, pork and corn partners. These experts will then be available to provide the on-farm assistance farmers need to be successful with cover crops from selection to termination. Farmers for Soil Health also provides financial assistance for planting cover crops, albeit at levels lower than many of the government-supported programs. However, the enrollment process for the Farmers for Soil Health program is much simpler.  

There is ample research demonstrating the long-term benefits of cover crops on soil, but the Farmers for Soil Health strategy does not simply build better soil. Another reason farmers should be interested in increasing their sustainability practices through the FSH program is a direct farmer-to-corporation online marketplace. 

“The marketplace will level the playing field between the end user or buyer and the farmer,” says West. “Farmers can control the sustainability practices they are implementing, data they are releasing and what they are selling.” 

Improving transparency around sustainability is a top goal of Farmers for Soil Health, and the online marketplace will be a key component of making this a reality. West is working closely with both a corporate advisory board and a farmer advisory board on the online marketplace, and he believes this marketplace could be a real market disruptor and boon for farmer participants.  

The long-term goal for this collaboration is the online marketplace, West says, but those invested in the program are not stopping there. With their strong commitment at the national level and allied state organizations supporting their work throughout the 20-state footprint, the national soy, pork and corn partners are confident Farmers for Soil Health is poised for success—and these steps are just the beginning of what can be done. 

For more information about Farmers for Soil Health, visit FarmersForSoilHealth.com.