Land Core Newsletter - December 2021

 

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

We’re thrilled to end the year on a high note, with some good news and quick updates below.

We’re also pleased to share our 2021 Year in Review - a reflection and celebration of what we’ve been able to accomplish together.

Thank you for your support and partnership this year.

Wishing you a happy and restful holiday season.

Take care,
The Land Core team


2021 Emerging Leaders in Food & Ag Award Winner!

Aria McLauchlan & Harley Cross selected as 2021 Emerging Leaders in Food & Ag

We are so honored to announce that our co-founders, Aria McLauchlan and Harley Cross, were among this year’s “Emerging Leaders in Food & Ag” award winners, announced during an award ceremony on December 15th! Thanks to all of our friends and colleagues for voting to nominate Aria and Harley earlier this year, and congratulations to all of this year’s incredible winners, who are working at every level to create stronger, healthier, more equitable and more sustainable systems.

Learn more →


Announcing New Funding Partners!

We’re thrilled to share that Land Core has been awarded a generous two-year grant from The J.M. Kaplan Fund as part of their Environment Program. This grant will help support the development and launch of the Land Core Risk Model – a tool designed to inform lenders and insurers to help scale the adoption of soil health practices. We’re grateful for the program’s support of natural climate solutions and the financing mechanisms necessary to bring them to scale, and to the whole J.M. Kaplan team for their thoughtful engagement at every step of the process.

We’re equally excited to welcome the Great Island Foundation as a significant new Land Core supporter. We would like to express our deepest gratitude for the Foundation for their generous gift, which will support our work. We look forward to working together to advance our shared goals of transitioning to a more resilient, regenerative and equitable agriculture system.


In Case You Missed It

Q&A: The Trickiest Part of Regenerative Agriculture is Financing It. But That’s Fixable.

In this recent Bank of the West article, Harley Cross, Land Core’s Director of Strategy, was interviewed alongside Mad Agriculture and Kiss the Ground about changing the way the industry thinks about financing, shifting the focus from short-term yields to long-term risks. Harley talked about opportunities for lenders to leverage the savings created through risk mitigation to help fund the shift to regenerative agriculture.

Read the article →

NCAT Releases “Soil Health Innovations in Public Policy” Panel Recording, Featuring Aria McLauchlan

NCAT recently released a series of 19 videos exploring leading soil health topics, including on-farm practices, soil biology, carbon markets, and public policy, as part of its first annual Soil Health Innovations Conference. Listen back as our Executive Director, Aria McLauchlan, speaks with Jeff Schahczenski, Ag Economist at NCAT, Arohi Sharma, Policy Analyst at the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Dr. Bianca Moebius-Clune, Climate Initiative Director at American Farmland Trust (AFT), and Dorn Cox, Research Director at OpenTEAM.

Watch the talk →


What We're Reading

Ag Climate Agenda Likely Stalled Over Build Back Better Fight
Biden administration's plan to use farmers as a strategy against climate change now in peril with Manchin's statements Sunday that he can't support the Build Back Better bill.
December 20, 2021 | By: Chris Clayton, DTN Progressive Farmer

Cover crops as cash crops: Farmers angle to profit off the practice
The third part of a four-part series examining the promise of cover crops and possible pitfalls facing policymakers (here are parts 1, 2 & 4).
December 13, 2021 | By: Noah Wicks, Agri-Pulse

Native Americans’ farming practices may help feed a warming world
On the importance of learning from and incorporating Indigenous knowledge.
December 10, 2021 | By: Samuel Gilbert, The Washington Post

Investing in soil health to help transform food and agriculture systems
World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)’s Soil Investment Hub (SIH) launches new “Soil Investment Guidance Report”.
December 6, 2021 | WBCSD

[Podcast] Connecting Soil Health to Human Health with Rick Clark
How Indiana farmer Rick Clark transitioned his 7,000-acre operation to organic & regenerative production, and how he thinks about the intersection between soil health and human health.
December 3, 2021 | By: Julia Gerlach, No-Till Farmer

FFAR grant examines pasture and rangeland soil health
New $19 million research project to focus on the soil health of grazing lands.
December 8, 2021 | Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research

No-Till and Cover Crop Systems Cut Costs and Save Soil
No-till/cover crop systems show significant profitability increases for Minnesota farmers.
December 19, 2021 | By: Raylene Nickel

Regenerative Agriculture Must Scale Or Die
With regenerative agriculture now proven widely at small scale, it’s time for forward-thinking entrepreneurs and investors to also step up and help the sector extend its reach.
December 6, 2021 | By: Russ Conser, Forbes

New EQIP incentive adds funds for ag, forestry practices
Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry is now part of EQIP program.
November 29, 2021 | By: Tom Bechman, Farm Progress


Favorite Books (& last minute gift ideas)

🌾 The Hidden Half of Nature & Growing a Revolution, David Montgomery & Anne Bikle
🌾 The Soil Will Save Us, Kristin Ohlson
🌾 The Third Plate, Dan Barber
🌾 Dirt to Soil, Gabe Brown
🌾 The Farm Bill: A Citizen's Guide, Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracco (for those as excited as we are about the 2023 Farm Bill)


Give to Land Core!

You can support Land Core this holiday season by:

🌾 Making a donation through our website
🌾 Hosting a Facebook fundraiser (select "Raise money for a charity", search "Land Core", set a goal & invite family & friends to participate!)
🌾 Finding us on Amazon Smile (search for & select "Land Core"; proceed with your shopping & a portion of each purchase will be donated to us!)
🌾 Making a pledge through 1% for the Planet

Your donation directly supports our work to make the rapid adoption of soil health possible. Thanks for your generous support. 🌱🙏


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