Land Core Newsletter - August 2023
Image Credit: Raphael Rychetsky (Unsplash)
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
We hope you all had a great summer! The Land Core team, as well as our risk model partners, have been working hard on a number of items. This past month has seen a lot of press and some exciting new developments with the risk model tool, as well as a huge influx of new bills introduced in the 118th Congress hoping to make it into the Farm Bill.
We have a fantastic new Land Core team member that we are excited to introduce to you, as well as two postdoctoral research associate positions that we are still looking to fill as we continue to grow our work.
Read on to learn more!
Warmly,
The Land Core team
Risk Model News
Tool Development:
The Land Core Risk Model team, in collaboration with the Schmidt Center for Data Science and the Environment (DSE), have been hard at work developing a visual analytics tool for our model outputs. They have worked tirelessly to integrate all of our field- and county-level data in Illinois into an intuitive interface that visually represents the impacts of specific conservation practices. We are very thankful for their commitment to this work, and we look forward to providing more updates in the coming months.
AgFunder News: “Should ag lenders and crop insurers offer ‘good soil discounts’ to farmers? Land Core develops ‘actuarially sound model’ to make it possible.” We’re thrilled to share this article discussing the risk model and the concept of good soil discounts here.
Still Hiring!
We are seeking to fill two postdoctoral research associate positions:
Statistician: Land Core and the Department of Statistics at Rice University are seeking to fill a two-year Postdoctoral Research Associate position. The Postdoctoral Research Associate will conduct statistical modeling and lead analyses assessing impacts of extreme climate events on diversified cropping systems and the resulting effects on crop production, including crop yields, remotely sensed data on crop rotation and cover cropping, and environmental variables. Strong candidates with an MS in Statistics or equivalent and applied experience will also be considered.
Agricultural Economist: Land Core and the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business at the University of Arkansas are seeking to fill a two-year Postdoctoral Research Associate position. The Postdoctoral Research Associate will work on issues related to agricultural business and production risk. The successful candidate will contribute to developing economic models on the value of risk mitigation afforded to farms via the adoption of soil conservation practices, such as reduced tillage, cover cropping, and crop rotation, particularly under extreme climate conditions.
These positions will remain open until filled, and all applicants who apply by September 30, 2023 will receive full consideration. Email questions to Land Core (operations@landcore.org).
Farm Bill / Policy Updates
Farm Bill update:
The long-awaited 2023 Farm Bill will be delayed, potentially beyond the end of the year. As Congress returns from their August recess, they will need to prioritize the FY24 spending bills, which may prove difficult given current political dynamics. The House and Senate Agriculture Committees are still drafting their respective versions of the Farm Bill and are expected to release drafts in early October. With the current Farm Bill expiring on September 30, 2023, Congress is expected to pass a continuing resolution, giving them more time to work on the 2023 bill. We will continue to report on soil health related measures in the 2023 Farm Bill on our Bill Tracker.
Bill Tracker:
Last month over 100 marker bills were introduced to the House and Senate Agriculture Committees! We published a collection of these core bills, along with updates to bills referred to subcommittees and bills that had committee hearings, to our July Soil Health Federal Bill Tracker Update. If you have not yet, sign up for our Bill Tracker Alerts here.
USDA MMRV Comments:
Earlier this month Land Core submitted comments to the USDA on the proposed federal strategy for agriculture and forestry greenhouse gas measurement and monitoring. Land Core has continued advocating for a voluntary, standardized calibration protocol to be established for labs that run soil health related testing and require USDA and USDA-funded projects to use labs that meet those standards. You can view our full comments on our website.
ICYMI (In Case You Missed It):
Last month, Land Core submitted comments to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on their recent proposed rule on Conservation and Landscape Health. We are grateful for the positive feedback we’ve received on these comments and welcome the opportunity to engage more deeply on the enormous potential conservation benefits associated with well-managed grazing, and the importance of partnering with ranchers who care for vast stretches of our public lands. Read more about our comments here.
Welcome, Rebecca!
We’re pleased to introduce Rebecca Champagne, our newest member of the Land Core team. Rebecca is excited to join Land Core as the Programs Manager. She is an agronomist with a research background in weed management and organic agriculture. Rebecca has been involved in interdisciplinary science communications and policy work, and previously worked as an analyst for the ag-tech company, Gro Intelligence. She is passionate about transforming our farm and food systems to be more sustainable and equitable for all people. Rebecca has a PhD in Environmental Science from the University of Maine, an MS in Agronomy from The Pennsylvania State University, and a BS in Sustainable Agriculture from The University of Maine. In her free time you can find her at the gym, gardening, reading, and cooking.
Upcoming Speaking Events
Catch the Land Core team at one of the following upcoming events:
September 12, 2023, 2-3:30pm EDT - Farm Bill in Focus: Climate-Smart Research for the Farms of the Future
Risk Model team member Dr. Lawson Connor, Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness at the University of Arkansas, will be speaking at the Environmental and Energy Study Institute’s Farm Bill in Focus forum. Lawson and other panelists will discuss innovations in agricultural research, as well as how to invest in, scale up, and evaluate resilience-enhancing practices. This online briefing is free and open to the public. Register or watch the live broadcast.
September 26-27, 2023 - Regenerative Food Systems Investment Forum - Denver, CO
Our Executive Director, Aria McLauchlan, will be speaking on a plenary session “How Policy is Shaping Finance and Investment in Regeneration” on the 27th at the RFSI Forum. This event brings together stakeholders for networking and knowledge sharing to drive investments in regenerative agriculture and resilient food systems.
What We're Reading
This Farm Bill Could Reshape the Food System. Here Are 10 Proposals at the Center of the Fight.
An update on how lawmakers are gearing up for a food-and-ag sprint when they return to D.C. in September.
August 9, 2023 | By: Lisa Held, Civil Eats
Don’t abandon cover crops after one tough year
Much of Wisconsin and the Midwest experienced drought in 2023, which plays a big role in how cover crops affect the following corn crop.
August 22, 2023 | By: Becky Brathal, Farm Progress
House chairman says 2023 farm bill will be later than expected
Congress will have to extend temporarily the lifespan of the 2018 farm bill because it will miss the Sept. 30 deadline for enacting its successor, said House Agriculture chairman Glenn Thompson.
August 15, 2023| By: Chuck Abbott, Successful Farming
Vilsack: Climate-smart agriculture can help farmers compete against big business
As the USDA announces grants supporting rural renewable energy projects, the secretary said the agency is focused on helping farmers implement greener production practices and access new markets.
August 31, 2023 | By: Sarah Zimmerman, Agriculture Dive
How could the Farm Bill actually help your farm?
Farmer and Farm Bill Campaign Organizer Lindsey Shapiro shares a few things you can do to help ensure the finalized bill supports an equitable and ecologically sound food system and includes the needs of farms like yours.
August 29, 2023 | Lindsey Shapiro, PASA
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