Land Core Newsletter - March 2021
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
With March coming to an end, we wanted to share a few highlights from this month. We hope you are as excited as we are for the emergence of Spring, bringing with it new life and new opportunities!
Sincerely,
The Land Core Team
Modeling Begins!
After over a year of planning and building partnerships, our cross-sector Risk Model Working Group is now building the MVP for our predictive model that will quantify the risk-mitigating benefits of soil health practices.
We are now in the final hiring stages to bring on dedicated data management and statistical analysis support for our Working Group. Big thanks also to our technology and computer science volunteer, Grace Rainaldi, for joining the team! We're thrilled to see this talented, enthusiastic team of experts expand and continue to come together across institutions to work collaboratively.
We're on track to have our MVP of the model by summer 2021, with a first pilot rolling out in the fall.
Stay tuned for a big update on this and much more soon!
Policy Opportunities
Land Core is working closely with legislators, coalition partners and stakeholders to track and shape current policy opportunities for the two large omnibus packages for infrastructure and climate that could have major implications for soil health. One legislator's office described this as an opportunity for "once-in-a-generation" change.
Here are two additional specific opportunities for input on policy:
USDA Request for Public Comment on the Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad
President Biden's January 27 Executive Order laid out a series of actions for Federal Agencies to take regarding climate change mitigation and resilience, including directing the Secretary of Agriculture to collect stakeholder input on a climate-smart agriculture and forestry strategy. As part of this process, USDA is seeking input from the public to ensure that relevant information is considered.
Consider referring to the Agency Priorities and Actions section of Land Core's Soil Health Policy Recommendations for guidance.
Submit comments by April 29 →
USDA-NRCS Request for Public Comment on Revised Conservation Practice Standards
NRCS is seeking public comment on proposed revisions to 23 national conservation practice standards in order to increase flexibility and incorporate new technologies to help the nation's farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners better protect natural resources on their working lands.
Producers with experience applying for and implementing conservation practices, or organizations that support those producers, would be well suited to give comments.
Submit comments by April 8 →
A Funding Opportunity
USDA Seeks Innovative Partner-led Projects Delivering Sustainable Agricultural Solutions
USDA recently announced $75M in funding from the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) via the Alternative Funding Arrangements (AFA) to improve flexibility for local partners to help farmers meet conservation and soil health needs. NRCS will support up to 15 projects related to climate smart agriculture and forestry this year.
Apply by May 28 →
Bill Tracker Updates
Visit our bill tracker for highlights of new and reintroduced legislation (from the previous Congress)! A few recent highlights:
The 21st Century Conservation Corps Act, providing additional appropriations for several conservation programs, was reintroduced in the House (H.R.1162) and Senate (S.487)
H.R.843, to raise the borrowing limit of the Commodity Credit Corporation with potential implications for the development of a carbon bank at USDA, was introduced into the House
For friends of the west - H.R.803, Protecting America's Wilderness and Public Lands Act, passed in the House
See full list of bills, as well as a library of third-party policy resources and recommendations, in the federal soil health bill tracker →
Like the tracker? Share your feedback here and join our bill tracker alerts list for updates and action items.
Policy Insights for Your Organization
We've been delighted recently to deliver presentations on "Opportunities in Federal Policy for Regenerative Agriculture" to different coalitions of businesses, funder groups, and other organizations in food and ag. If your organization would like to better understand the current policy landscape and opportunities at hand, or learn how you can get more involved, we can arrange for Land Core to give a similar talk with Q&A.
Donate to Land Core
A little goes a long way through our targeted focus on meaningful economic incentives and policy that make a difference for our nation’s producers. We would be so grateful for your support of our work. And thanks to all those of you who are already contributing!
Get Directly Involved
We all have a part to play in rebuilding soil health, whether in our backyards or through direct engagement. Three opportunities:
1. Review the federal soil health bill tracker for legislation that represents your values and interests, and ask your representatives to cosponsor or support that legislation.
2. Get local! Check out this US state level Soil Policy Action tool, developed by our colleagues at Kiss the Ground, Farmer’s Footprint & Nerds for Earth. You can use this tool to:
Explore the state soil policy map to learn about the status of your local soil health legislation
Contact your state elected representative and encourage them to support healthy soil legislation and to learn about the importance of improving soil health
3. Share your thoughts in this Food Systems Health Assessment - a short survey by our friends at the Regenerative Food Systems Investment Forum and nRhythm.
What We’re Reading
Can California's Organic Vegetable Farmers Unlock the Secrets of No-Till Farming?
March 30, 2021 | By: Gosia Wozniacka, Civil Eats
Biden Team Prepare $3 Trillion in New Spending for the Economy
March 22, 2021 | By: Jim Tankersley, NY Times
Soil organic matter protects US maize yields and lowers crop insurance payouts under drought (New research from the Yale School of the Environment (YSE) confirming the importance of soil health in reducing the environmental and economic impacts of drought)
March 16, 2021 | By: Daniel A Kane, Mark A Bradford, Emma Fuller, Emily E Oldfield and Stephen A Wood, IOP Publishing Ltd
Soil Health: How to Change Your Ways and Benefit from Healthy Soil
March 8, 2021 | By: Marlon Winger, NRCS, on Farmers.Gov
Regenerative Agriculture, Parts 1 (Philosophy), 2 (Principles), 3 (Practices) & 4 (Benefits) (Revisit this expert blog series from the NRDC team for a fresh, informative take on “regenerative agriculture”)
February 2021 | By: Arohi Sharma, Lara Bryant, Ellen Lee & Claire O'Connor, NRDC