Land Core Newsletter - February 2022

 

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

After nearly two years of all remote convenings, it seems that things are starting to thaw. With the beginning of spring in the air, we have cracked open our doors to a few in-person conferences in the coming months, and we are very much looking forward to (re)connecting with many of you! We have listed a few of the places you will be able to find us below, so please don’t hesitate to reach out if we might be overlapping!

Below, you’ll also find our usual roundup of policy news and advancements in soil health.

Take care,
The Land Core team

Policy Announcements & Opportunities

The new Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities initiative, announced on Feb. 7 by Secretary Vilsack, will invest $1 billion into pilot projects that create opportunities for US agricultural and forestry products that use climate-smart practices.

The grant program, part of USDA’s commitment to tackling climate and resilience in agriculture was designed using nearly 400 public comments, including our joint comments with OpenTEAM.

Despite the extensive set of requirements and the heavy lift that will likely be required of applicants, we are still very excited at the potential opportunity and level of funding being made available to bolster resilience in US agriculture. We are strongly encouraging those who have the capacity with qualifying projects to apply so that these dollars don’t go untapped.

Some groups will need to form robust partnerships in order to qualify. Please reach out if we can facilitate any needed connections within the soil health movement to help strengthen your application.

Learn more and apply by April 8th, 2022 →

Other Opportunities for Producers:

  • The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), administered by FSA, provides annual rental payments to farmers to remove sensitive land from production and re-establish land cover to help improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and reduce loss of wildlife habitat. In 2021, FSA introduced higher payment rates, new incentives, and a more targeted focus on CRP’s role in climate change mitigation. We’ll be looking at reforms to further strengthen the program in the upcoming farm bill. In the meantime, the general CRP signup is currently open and runs until March 11, while the Grassland CRP signup will run from April 4 - May 13. Enroll →

  • Cover crop insurance premium discounts - Following a successful first round of the Pandemic Cover Crop Program in 2021, producers who plant cover crops in 2022 are eligible for a $5 premium discount on crop insurance policies. Apply by March 15. Enroll →

Appropriations & Farm Bill

FY23 Appropriations: While Congress works to pass its FY22 bill by March 11, Land Core has begun working on our Appropriations requests for FY23. The federal Appropriations cycle happens once a year, and is a huge but often underleveraged opportunity to engage in federal policy, advance our priorities and ensure funding for the programs we want to see continued and strengthened. If you are (or are thinking about) engaging in Appropriations this year, please feel free to reach out and coordinate with us to strengthen our collective efforts.

Recent Farm Bill Hearings:

Upcoming Hearing: A 2022 Review of the Farm Bill: Commodity Group Perspectives on Title 1, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, 10am ET, House Agriculture Committee

Opportunities to Connect

We’re looking forward to connecting with farmers and colleagues from across the country this weekend at these conferences:

Come say hi - we're always excited to hear new and diverse perspectives on current food, ag and soil health issues! See upcoming events & connect with us →

Upcoming Speaking Events

Panel: Policy - A Powerful Tool for Scaling-up Climate Solutions in This Decisive Decade
Tuesday, March 8, 2022, 10:30 - 11:45 AM PST | Climate Day, Natural Products Expo West 2022
Grand Ballroom E, Anaheim Convention Center (ACC), Anaheim CA
Our Executive Director, Aria McLauchlan, joins Nancy Hirshberg, co-founder of Climate Collaborative, & Peg Willingham, Executive Director of Fairtrade America, to discuss how businesses can engage in federal policy, why they should be paying attention to the Farm Bill, and how we can all work to elevate the voices of American farmers.
And don't miss the presentation "Regenerate America™ - Soil Is Our Common Ground" on Tuesday, March 8, 1:15 - 1:35 PM PST | Marquis Ballroom
Learn more & register →

SustainabilityLIVE - Wolven Threads
Thursday, March 3, 2022, 12pm PST
Our Programs Manager, Katie Fettes, joins Wolven Threads to talk soil health & regenerative ag, & how the wellness community and citizens at large can get involved. A portion of each purchase of Wolven’s Land Collection supports Land Core through its 1% for the Planet membership. Tune in to Instagram live chat →

What We're Reading

Diversifying crop rotation improves soil, reduces fertilizer costs
Farmers who have used a three- or four-crop rotation system for more than 10 years are most likely to reap the benefits of improved soil health and higher yields, according to a survey of producers in eastern South Dakota.
Feb 1, 2022 | By: Christie Delfanian, Phys.org

Farm bill oversight begins
Key takeaways from two recent House Agriculture Committee hearings on the 2018 Farm Bill.
Feb 10, 2022 | By: Jacqui Fatka, Farm Progress

Ending pandemic of soil erosion starts with SWCDs
The role of soil and water conservation districts in reducing soil erosion.
Feb 17, 2022 | By: Tom Bechman, Indiana Prairie Farmer

Prioritize Soil Health to Restore Profitability and Open New Doors
Crop adviser serving Midwest and Great Plains spreads soil health practices.
Feb 21, 2022 | By: Raylene Nickel, Successful Farming

Black Farmers Fear Foreclosure as Debt Relief Remains Frozen
Lawsuits from white farmers have blocked $4 billion of pandemic aid that was allocated to Black farmers in the American Rescue Plan.
Feb 21, 2022 | By: Alan Rappeport, NY Times

New Research Finds Scaling Sustainable Agriculture Requires Blended Solutions
Joint Research Underscores Importance of Combining Financial Incentives, Technical Assistance and Tailored “Human Dimensions” Insights to Accelerate On-Farm Climate-Smart Practices.
Feb 15, 2022 | Farm Journal

Soil Health Institute Publishes Report Evaluating Literature on the Relationships Between Soil Health and Food Nutritional Quality
Establishing the relationship between soil health and food nutritional quality could drive more demand for food grown using soil health practices.
Feb 3, 2022 | Soil Health Institute

Job Opportunities in Regen Ag

A few job postings from our partners and collaborators for those interested in deepening your commitment & lending your talents to the regenerative movement:

Get Involved

🌾 Donate to Land Core! Support our programs to advance soil health in 2022.

🌾 Keep up with federal soil health policy! Explore our federal soil health bill tracker & sign up for monthly soil health legislation updates delivered to your inbox.

🌾 Upcoming Community Event: Native Farm Bill Coalition Webinar - Title II - Conservation, Friday, Feb 25, 2022. Tune in for an informal discussion on the Conservation title of the Farm Bill.

🌾 Join Kiss the Ground Farm Bill Book Club // Live Conversation Tomorrow, Feb 25: Read ‘The Farm Bill: A Citizen’s Guide’ by Dan Imhoff and Christina Badaracco and join a live conversation on the RegenNation Gathering Place Discord (hosted by Kiss the Ground) with industry experts and other advocates this Friday, February 25! Join now.

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