Land Core Newsletter - July 2024
Image Credit: Tony Mucci, Unsplash
Dear friends and colleagues,
We hope you had a fun and safe Fourth of July holiday! Land Core was back in DC this month for a busy week of meetings on the Hill continuing to focus on soil health as a central need for US agriculture. We also hosted our first virtual informational session about the Soil Health Risk Model and accompanying online tool for policymakers! Additionally, Land Core recently submitted comments to USDA based on a Request for Information about biofuel feedstocks.
Read on for more soil health related news, including an overview of Farm Bill and Ag-Appropriations news, upcoming events and funding opportunities, and a look at what we’re reading.
Warmly,
The Land Core Team
Policy Updates
Land Core in DC
Land Core’s Executive Director, Aria McLauchlan, was in Washington, DC earlier this month meeting with over 15 Congressional offices and other colleagues, to discuss upcoming priorities including a soil health and crop insurance research proposal, which would direct USDA to study the risk-reducing benefits of soil health practices, as well as the DEFER Act and other issues. During these meetings she also shared information about the Risk Model project and its potential to reward farmers who use risk-reducing practices.
Despite the political challenges and delays in DC (see more below) we remain committed to advancing soil health policies and educating stakeholders on the broader impacts of soil health, in the Farm Bill and beyond.
House Ag Committee Hearing on Financial Conditions in Farm Country
Last week the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing on the “Financial Conditions in Farm Country” with testimony from commodity farmers, agricultural bankers, and representatives from groups such as the Minnesota Corn Growers and American Cotton Producers. The speakers spoke to rising production costs and historically low commodity prices, which is making it more difficult for farmers to access loans due to their lower cash flow. Many farmers are now refinancing their debt, but can't always meet new payment requirements because of low commodity prices. House Agriculture Democrats also voiced concerns about funding frameworks during the hearing, with Ranking Member Rep. David Scott (D-GA) addressing Commodity Credit Corporation restrictions and Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC) voicing support for financing for beginning farmers and other underserved groups.
Farm Bill Updates
Recently, a coalition of over 500 stakeholder and beneficiary groups sent a letter to congressional leaders urging them to pass a Farm Bill by the end of the year to continue support for essential programs, including groups from the agricultural, nutrition, conservation, and rural development sectors.
However, despite the strong showing of support over the past month, momentum on the Farm Bill has slowed again, with no significant movement from either chamber. Unfortunately, it is currently feeling increasingly unlikely that it will pass this year.
Nevertheless, hearings are still underway in the House Agriculture Committee, where witnesses urged members to get a Farm Bill passed this year and implement a supplemental budget for disaster assistance. During the hearing, Chairman Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA) indicated that he is willing to entertain an informal negotiation with the Senate Agriculture Committee if they release their full Farm Bill text.
Ag-Appropriations
Earlier this month both the Senate and House Ag-FDA Appropriations bills passed and advanced to their respective floors. The Senate bill was approved with a total funding amount of $27 billion, which is an $821 million increase from FY24. The House bill total funding was approved at $25.9 billion, a decrease of $355 million from FY24. While the appropriations committees moved forward with their spending bills, the budget committees have not yet released the overall budget allocations for Ag-FDA, so spending totals may need to be adjusted before they receive a floor vote.
See an overview and analysis of the House and Senate spending bills in our Federal Bill Tracker.
Despite the House’s original goal of having all 12 appropriations bills passed by the August recess, the floor time scheduled for the week of July 22nd was pulled for the Ag-FDA bill after disagreements came up in the Rules Committee. House leadership then canceled the remaining floor activity and called an early recess. The House is scheduled to return to session after Labor Day.
Land Core Submits Comments to USDA on Biofuel Feedstocks
Last week Land Core submitted comments to USDA in response to its Request for Information on procedures for quantifying, reporting, and verifying the effect of climate-smart farming practices on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with U.S.-grown biofuel feedstock crops.
Our comments and recommendations build on our leadership around the importance of consistent outcomes verification protocols in soil health (and related GHG) measurement, monitoring and reporting. We also recommended that USDA emphasize the diversity of crops that can be used for biofuels feedstocks, particularly those crops and rotations that also build soil health. Read our full comments here.
Risk Model News
Earlier this month we hosted a virtual informational session for congressional offices to share the Soil Health Risk Model and accompanying online tool. The session included an overview of our research and preliminary results, a live demo of the beta version of the tool, and key takeaways for policymakers on how to quantify the risk-reduction benefits of soil health practices. These sessions also serve as an important outlet for our team to receive questions and feedback from potential users of the tool.
We aim to host more of these sessions in the coming months for different groups, such as farming & conservation organizations, and lenders & insurers. If you’re interested in attending future virtual sessions, please contact rebecca@landcore.org!
Upcoming Events
Below you will find a selection of upcoming gatherings related to agriculture and soil health on our radar.
August 6-8, 2024 - Farmfest Cover Crop Demonstration - Morgan, MN
The Minnesota FarmFest hosts educational sessions, activities, exhibitors and live product demonstrations in an effort to celebrate farming and the rural lifestyle. This year you can check out a cover crop demonstration. Learn more about the event here.
August 7, 2024 - Cover Crop Field Day - Bagley, IA
This USDA-NRCS event, held in conjunction with the Greene County Soil & Water Conservation District, will include a discussion about cover crops along with a cover crop planting with a drone and a rainfall simulator demonstration. More information and registration details can be found here.
August 8, 2024 - Soil Health Field Day - York, NE
Hosted by Pheasants Forever of Nebraska, this annual field day brings together conservation professionals to present on current research looking at all things soil health from nutrient management to crop system diversity. Learn more here.
August 8-9, 2024 - National Strip Tillage Conference - Madison, WI
The 11th annual National Strip Tillage Conference includes general sessions, roundtables, and an opportunity to earn Certified Crop Adviser credits. Sessions will discuss management and equipment decisions for growers looking to adopt strip-till practices. Find out more here.
August 16, 2024 - Successful Soil Solutions Field Day - Winamac, IN
The Pulaski County Soil & Water Conservation District will be hosting a hands-on field day to learn about tools and knowledge for soil health. Learn more here.
August 21-22, 2024 - Ag Banking Conference - Springfield, IL
This conference covers topics related to banking and lending in agriculture, such as economics, risk management, and lending skills. More information can be found here.
Funding Opportunities
Below you can find upcoming enrollments and deadlines for funding opportunities.
1890 Institution Teaching, Research and Extension Capacity Building Grants Program
The Capacity Building Grants (CBG) program supports projects that strengthen teaching programs in the food and agricultural sciences in areas like curriculum design and materials development, faculty development, and others. CBG also supports projects that strengthen research and extension programs in need areas of studies and experimentation, extension program development support systems.
The deadline to apply is Tuesday, August 6. More information on the program and how to apply can be found here.
National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship Grants Program
This grant program supports: (1) training students for master's and doctoral degrees in food, agricultural and natural resource sciences; and (2) Special International Study or Thesis/Dissertation Research Travel Allowances (IRTA) for eligible USDA NNF beneficiaries. Awards are specifically intended to support traineeship programs that engage outstanding students to pursue and complete their degrees in USDA mission areas.
The deadline to apply is Tuesday, August 13. More information on the program and how to apply can be found here.
What We're Reading
EPA Rolls Out $4.3 B in Climate Grants
The Environmental Protection Agency announced more than $4.3 billion in grants to reduce climate pollution in projects across 30 states, looking to reduce nearly 1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide with the funds.
July 22, 2024 | By: Chris Clayton, DTN/Progressive Farmer
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced USDA is investing $90 million in Conservation Innovation Grants, which support the development of new tools, approaches, practices and technologies to further natural resources conservation on private lands.
July 18, 2024 | By: USDA NRCS
Former Ag Secretary touts tax credits for farmers
Mike Johanns wants producers to know what feds can do for them, and shares his thoughts on the farm bill. According to Johanns, many farmers and ranchers are doing things every day that may qualify for a research and development tax credit.
July 15, 2024 | By: Joshua Baethge, Farm Progress
Arizona farmers turn to solar panels to shade crops, save water and generate power
By using solar panels, farmers can simultaneously protect their plants, save water and lower their energy bills – and some are doing just that with help from federal programs designed to encourage this sustainable method of growing.
July 11, 2024 | By: Amaia J. Gavica, AZ Mirror
Using Crop Waste to Develop Biobased Plastics
A southwest-Indiana based bioplastics company plans to use food waste from local farmers to create a fully biodegradable plastic.
July 3, 2024 | By: Meghan Grebner, Brownfield Ag News
Unique Program Pays Illinois Farmers to Improve Soil Health
The ADM re:generations™ Program in Illinois encourages farmers to incorporate regenerative agriculture practices into their operations while offering financial incentives for doing so.
July 3, 2024 | By: Jesse Allen, American Ag Network
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