Land Core Newsletter - July 2022
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
July was a truly exciting month not only for soil health, but also for Land Core.
In addition to some very promising advancements for soil health in the Inflation Reduction Act introduced last week (see more below), we’ve had some extremely positive movement on a new marker bill (meaning a bill slated for inclusion the 2023 Farm Bill)! Through our work with Regenerate America™, our FSA Loan Deferment Program proposal - which could provide hundreds of millions of dollars of investment in soil health - is now being championed and developed as legislation in the Senate! We’ll share more details as soon as we can.
And there's more! With two generous gifts we received last month, Land Core will soon be hiring! These critical funds will go to expanding our capacity in operations, policy and outreach. Stay tuned.
Read on for a jam-packed update to see what’s keeping us busy and hopeful - as well as ways to get involved.
Take care,
The Land Core team
P.S. Please note that Land Core will be on reduced hours during the last two weeks of August. We hope you all get some time to rest, and play…and if you can, thank our farmers during these times of challenging economics and weather.
Policy News
Pending “Inflation Reduction Act” Includes Historic Ag Funding!
We’re celebrating a historic win for soil health in the new reconciliation bill (formerly the Build Back Better Act/climate package), announced late last week by Senate Democrat leadership and Senator Manchin. The agriculture portion of the bill includes over $20 billion for soil health related agriculture and conservation programs! This includes grants to help producers roll out conservation and soil health practices on their land (EQIP), implement longer-term conservation plans (CSP), and be compensated for establishing and maintaining conservation easements (ACEP). It also includes funding for private-public partnerships that advance soil health and conservation (RCPP), expands conservation technical assistance for producers (CTA), and establishes a new sequestration and GHG emissions quantification program. The bill includes language directing USDA to focus on ag and conservation practices that directly improve soil carbon and mitigate climate change. As the bill is expected to go to the Senate floor for a vote this week, contact your Senator and ask them to support the soil health funding in the bill. See details & find contacts in our bill tracker.
Highlights from the July Land Core Federal Soil Health Bill Tracker:
Congress recognizes regenerative ag! House Resolution (H.Res.1234) expresses support for “regenerative agriculture and other conservation practices to support more sustainable and resilient agriculture”, following the July 19th Oversight Subcommittee for Environment hearing on “Regenerative Agriculture: How Farmers and Ranchers are Essential to Solving Climate Change and Increasing Food Production”. Land Core was pleased to support witnesses in preparing testimony for the hearing.
Ag appropriations: The Senate FY2023 agriculture appropriations bill is now under consideration by the full Senate Appropriations Committee. The bill allocates $27.1 billion in total funding - an $2.3 billion increase over last year. This includes funding increases for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and $1.132 billion for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). We are pleased to see some provisions in alignment with Land Core’s FY23 appropriations request, submitted earlier this year, alongside partner organizations.
Spotlight - new cover crops bill: The Conservation Opportunity and Voluntary Environment Resilience Program (COVER) Act (H.R.8527) would provide producers a $5 per acre crop insurance premium subsidy for planting cover crops.
Read and sign up for our monthly bill tracker alerts here.
Have Your Voice Heard - House Ag Committee Seeks Farm Bill Feedback:
Chairman Scott and Ranking Member Thompson of the House Ag Committee announced that they have opened an online form for the public to share ideas and feedback from the 2023 Farm Bill. This is in addition to continued field hearings around the country and committee hearings in Washington, D.C. We strongly encourage producers, stakeholders, and consumers to submit feedback (and ask you all to share this opportunity with the farmers and ranchers in your life). Find some language you can use to support your submission here. Share your feedback →
Land Core Submits Recommendations To USDA On Fertilizer Access & Soil Health:
On July 15, co-signed by businesses, and food & farming organizations from across the country, Land Core, submitted a letter asking USDA to support farmers and ranchers in building soil health and on-farm fertility as a primary means of reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers. The letter, sent in response to USDA's request for information on “Access to Fertilizer: Competition and Supply Chain Concerns”, also asked for national investment in composting systems to move towards a more independent and resilient American agriculture, while creating a synergistic urban-to-rural food waste diversion process that could reduce US methane emissions. Thanks to all who joined us in this call to support farmer and rancher independence. Read the comments on our blog →
Quick Call to Action - Help Regenerate America™ Grow:
Regenerate America™ is a coalition of farmers, businesses, nonprofits (including Land Core!), and individuals from every corner of our country and all political stripes. Together, we are elevating the voices of farmers and ranchers in asking that the 2023 Farm Bill shift resources & support towards regenerative agriculture. Sign up to grow the campaign to 10,000 supporters. Sign up & spread the word →
Risk Model Updates
Land Core Invited to Final Round of FFAR Seeding Solutions Grant
On July 20, we submitted an application to FFAR's Seeding Solutions grant program for our soil health risk modeling work. The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) is a well-regarded institution that provides federal funds to support bold, public-private applied research projects in "challenge areas" including Soil Health.
A huge thank you to our outstanding cross-sector risk modeling team for their deep commitment and expertise - and without whom this work would not be possible - as well as to our partners who provided matching funds and letters of support to strengthen our proposal.
Welcome Lawson Connor Ph.D
We’re pleased to welcome Dr. Lawson Connor, agricultural economist and Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness at the University of Arkansas, to our academic team. Dr. Connor brings expertise in quantifying the economic impacts of conservation practices, as well as extensive insight into RMA risk and economics. His research has focused on the impacts of crop insurance coverage on cover crop adoption (Connor et al, 2021), and follow-up work on cover crops and interactions with corn and soybean yields in Indiana (Dhakal & Connor, Submitted). Dr. Connor plans to conduct economic analyses to generate a full economic risk-mitigation profile for farms adopting modeled soil health practices.
New Funding Partners
We’re thrilled to welcome two new funding partners of Land Core’s work!
A generous donation recommended by The Paul and June Rossetti Family Fund, and made by Vanguard Charitable, will expand our internal capacity in operations, policy and outreach.
The #NoRegrets Initiative has also supported us with a timely gift to expand our federal policy work as we build momentum towards the 2023 Farm Bill.
We’re incredibly grateful to these partners for their leadership in the soil health and regenerative agriculture space. We are looking forward to working together toward our common goals and using this opportunity to catalyze real systemic change.
Funding Opportunity for Farmers
USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) announced on July 25 it will invest $25 million this year for the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials program.
“Through CIG, partners work to address our nation’s water quality, water quantity, air quality, soil health and wildlife habitat challenges, all while improving agricultural operations. The On-Farm Trials component of CIG supports widespread adoption and evaluation of innovative conservation approaches in partnership with agricultural producers. This year’s funding priorities are climate-smart agricultural solutions, irrigation water management, nutrient management and soil health.”
The Soil Health Demonstration Trial (SHD) component of On-Farm Trials, which Land Core helped establish in the 2018 Farm Bill, focuses exclusively on conservation practices implementation and systems that improve soil health.
Applications for On-Farm Trials are being accepted now through September 22, 2022. Click here to learn more and apply →
What We're Reading
Companies’ Climate Promises Face a Wild Card: Farmers
Some of the largest companies in the U.S. have pledged to adopt climate-friendly agricultural techniques. But some farmers say they haven’t provided enough incentive.
July 9, 2022 | By: Julie Creswell, New York Times
Want to support regen ag? Invest in mission-aligned infrastructure
New report from the Croatan Institute on “Investing in Regenerative Agriculture Infrastructure Across Value Chains” identifies finance opportunities and pathways to build resilient value chains for regenerative farms.
July 28, 2022 | By: Anna Aspenson, AgFunder News
True ‘carbon farming’ requires deep roots — in the ground and in community
Farm ecosystems are how we transform agriculture from a climate problem to a climate solution.
July 7, 2022 | By: Liz Carlisle, Grist Fix Solutions Lab
Boyd makes case for regenerative farming
Kara Boyd, the president of the Association of American Indian Farmers, testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Environment about the importance of regenerative agriculture today.
July 29, 2022 | By: The Robesonian
Healthy soils can not only extend grazing season, but prevent soil from blowing
How one South Dakota farm raising crops and cattle is using conservation programs to build soil health, and resilience.
July 31, 2022 | By: Lura Roti, Mitchell Republic
Fertilizer Industry and Farmer Advocates at Odds About Solutions to Fertilizer Crisis
The fertilizer industry says high fertilizer prices and supply issues can be solved by lifting export restrictions and incorporating different fertilizer application practices. Farmer advocates disagree.
July 7, 2022 | By: Claire Carlson, The Daily Yonder
Democrats’ funding infusion could shift farm bill debate
The landmark climate deal Democrats hope will clear Congress in coming days would upend the coming debate over the next farm bill, satisfying demands for new conservation spending but leaving farm groups still scrambling to fund enhancements in commodity programs.
August 3, 2022 | By: Philip Brasher, Agri-Pulse
Soil quality critical to help some U.S. crops weather heat stress from climate change
Study analyzed 30 years of data on four major crops, finds capacity of soil to hold water will be critical to determine how well farms in some regions of the US manage prolonged heat stress.
July 12, 2022 | Emory University
Improving soil and nutrient conservation
Long-term research project in Arkansas reveals significant reductions in sediment runoff by employing conservation practices, such as reduced tillage, cover crops and grass buffer strips at the field edge.
July 14, 2022 | By: Ginger Rowsey, Delta FarmPress
Get Involved
🌾 Upcoming Event: Investing in Regenerative Agriculture Infrastructure Across Value Chains | August 4, 2022 (today!) hosted by the Croatan Institute, virtual
🌾 Upcoming Event: Soil Health Institute "Scaling Up Soil Health" Virtual Annual Meeting | August 11-12, 2022 hosted by the Soil Health Institute, virtual
🌾 Donate to Land Core! Support our programs to advance soil health in 2022.
🌾 Sign up for our monthly newsletter.
🌾 Explore our Federal Soil Health Bill Tracker and sign up for monthly soil health legislation updates delivered to your inbox.