Land Core Newsletter - February 2026
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Dear friends & colleagues,
February has already been a busy month for American farmers, soil health, and agriculture policy… but the biggest news is that a new version of the long-awaited House Farm Bill was just released! Feedback on this new text (which came in at a whopping 802 pages!) has been varied, with Democratic opposition being made clear. Read our overview below, and check out the full bill text, a title-by-title 35-page summary, or an even shorter title-by-title 5-page overview.
Before you read on, we have one quick ask: We're gathering signatures for a Letter of Support for the SOIL HEALTH Practices Act, a bill that asks RMA to assess the risk-reducing benefits of soil health practices and pass on any discounts to farmers. Sign on here.
More below on this and everything else we've rounded up for you.
With gratitude,
The Land Core Team
Sign on to the SOIL HEALTH Practices Act!
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As mentioned above, we’re gathering signatures for a Letter of Support regarding the SOIL HEALTH Practices Act!
The letter advocates for USDA-RMA to oversee research related to the on-farm risk reduction associated with cover cropping, reduced tillage, diversified rotations, managed grazing, and other soil health practices over a 3-5 year timeline. If the research indicates reduced risk, USDA would be required to recommend appropriate discounts or incentives for producers through crop insurance. With the long-awaited farm bill markup scheduled for next week, now is the time to make your voice heard.
Sign on now, as the Farm Bill is moving fast!
Also, please share this action opportunity with the farmers, organizations, and businesses in your network. Congress is interested in this proposal, but needs our support to help push it forward.
Federal Policy News
Image from the House Agriculture Committee's Website.
Farm Bill Timeline
On Friday, February 13, 2026, House Agriculture Committee Republicans released the text of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, a draft of the long-overdue farm bill that has the potential to significantly shape US agriculture, conservation, funding, and research policy for the next five years. The House Agriculture Committee has scheduled a markup of the bill to begin February 23, 2026, kicking off a critical phase of committee debate and amendment proposals. These dates mark the first major procedural steps in what is typically a months-long legislative journey.
While House Agriculture Committee Republicans are aiming to reach a floor vote on the bill in April, House Agriculture Democrats have signaled strong opposition. Specifically, Ranking Member Angie Craig (D-MN-02) has indicated that it would be “very difficult, if not impossible” for her to support advancement of the bill as is, arguing that it contains poison pills (e.g., protections for pesticide manufacturers) and does not go far enough to support struggling farmers. In the Senate, Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman (R-AR) is expected to introduce a more bipartisan bill, with indications that certain controversial provisions may be excluded.
Farm Bill Summary Related to Soil Health
Several provisions in this bill have implications for soil health on agricultural lands. Specific mentions of soil health can be found in Title II, including soil mapping tools and soil sensors as covered technologies under Sec. 2001, authorizing state and Tribal grants to develop and implement soil health programs (Sec. 2302), emphasizing the use of third-party providers for technical assistance within conservation soil health planning (Sec. 2502), and explicitly identifying soil health as a focus for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (Subtitle I).
Within the Conservation Title (Title II), the bill primarily proposes programmatic updates to major conservation programs such as EQIP (Subtitle C), CSP (Subtitle D), and CRP (Sec. 2101), rather than making adjustments to funding levels, as funding for these programs has largely been set via last year’s spending bills (FY26 Appropriations and the “reconciliation” bill). (The bill does, however, provide funding authorizations for RCPP (Subtitle I) at $450 million annually.) Title II also includes other provisions related to state assistance for soil health (Sec. 2302), grazing lands (Sec. 2401), and watershed protection (Secs. 2403, 2405).
Other provisions of note related to soil health can be found in Title VII, which advances high-priority research initiatives, including research on soil health, biochar, and PFAs (Sec. 7204). Title VIII, which focuses on Forestry, includes provisions establishing National and Regional Agroforestry Centers to support research on systems, such as riparian buffers, that can improve soil health (Sec. 8301), includes soil restoration as an objective on National Forest System Lands (Sec. 8407), and establishes a Biochar Application Demonstration Project (Sec. 8434).
See a more comprehensive breakdown of key sections in our blog! We hope this guidance is helpful as you review the sections most relevant to you. Stay tuned for additional analysis, as well as updates to our Federal Soil Health Bill Tracker in the coming weeks.
We’re Hiring: Policy Manager
Land Core is continuing our search for a talented, pragmatic, and dedicated Policy Manager as we build additional capacity for our policy priorities, government affairs, and educational initiatives. This role will lead outreach to relevant agencies and Congressional offices, help build coalition support for soil health-focused initiatives, and expand Land Core’s capacity to leverage current and emerging legislative and agency opportunities to strengthen soil health.
Please note that this full-time role requires frequent in-person meetings with partners and policymakers in Washington, D.C., in addition to remote work. More details here.
We are actively reviewing strong candidates and welcome additional referrals from our network.
Exciting News!
We’re thrilled to share that we’ll be working with the Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise & Responsibility at Loyola University of Chicago to complete a market and revenue feasibility analysis for our Soil Health Risk Model Tool. Together, we’ll evaluate the viability of different business models and examine how stakeholders can use our tool to measure and price the risk-mitigating benefits of soil health practices. We've partnered with two MBA Baumhart Scholars for the spring, and can't wait to get started!
New Podcast Interview
Land Core co-founders Aria McLauchlan and Harley Cross are featured on the latest episode of Flipping the Table, diving into their business backgrounds and the organization’s work to make the economic case for soil health.
Check out the interview, thoughtfully led by Michael Dimock, Executive Director of Roots of Change.
Upcoming Events
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February 19-21, 2026 - Marbleseed Organic Farming Conference (La Crosse, Wisconsin)
This organic farming conference brings together farmers, educators, researchers, and advocates to learn, connect, and shape the future of organic agriculture. A cornerstone of the Midwest organic movement for over 30 years, the event features workshops, networking opportunities, and community-building events. Learn more and register here.
February 23-29, 2026 - California Small Farm Conference (Hybrid: Online + Various Locations)
This conference brings together beginning and experienced farmers, food system advocates, farmers' market managers, and agricultural professionals for learning, networking, and community-building. Admission is on a sliding scale. Learn more and register here.
February 28, 2026 - NOFA/Mass Winter Conference: Healthy Soils in Action (Amherst, Massachusetts)
This one-day gathering focuses on healthy soil principles in practice, a nutrient density keynote, workshops, a seed swap, a vendor fair, a film screening, a research poster session, and programming for children and affinity groups. Admission is on a sliding scale. Learn more and register here.
March 11-13, 2026 - Perennial Farm Gathering (Dubuque, Iowa)
This event brings together farmers, land stewards, researchers, and perennial agriculture advocates for panels, workshops, and deep dives focused on advancing agroforestry, ecological resilience, and perennial food systems. Learn more and register here.
March 12-13, 2026 - Come to the Table Conference (Winston-Salem, North Carolina)
This biennial conference convenes people of faith, farmers, and community leaders to address food access and advance a just food system. The gathering focuses on collaboration, capacity building, and advocacy to support economically, racially, and ecologically just farm communities. Learn more and register here.
March 17-18, 2026 - World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit (San Francisco, California)
This event brings together 1,700+ agrifood leaders, including agribusinesses, food brands, farmers, cooperatives, investors, policymakers, and start-ups, to accelerate innovation in agriculture. It features 100+ expert speakers, 1:1 networking, roundtables, and discussions on AI, autonomous farming, biotech, regenerative agriculture, soil health sensing, and ag finance. Learn more and register here.
What We're Reading
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Why Did McDonald’s USA Invest $200 Million in Regenerative Agriculture?
McDonald’s USA is investing $200 million in the Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative, a public-private partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and USDA to scale regenerative grazing, habitat restoration, and conservation practices across 4 million acres in up to 38 states. The program provides ranchers with financial incentives, technical assistance, and performance monitoring to strengthen U.S. beef supply chain resilience while promoting environmental stewardship.
By Angie Stump Denton, Drovers, February 9, 2026
USDA Debuts Plan to End ‘Agricultural Lawfare’
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the USDA’s new “Farmer and Rancher Freedom Framework,” aimed at addressing what the agency calls “agricultural lawfare,” defined as the use of legal and regulatory systems to harm farmers and ranchers. The plan includes appointing a senior advisor, launching a farmer complaint portal, expanding deregulation efforts, challenging eminent domain authority, accelerating conservation easements, and further dismantling DEI initiatives, including oversight of land equity efforts.
By Lisa Held, Civil Eats, February 12, 2026
'Farmers are doing more for sustainability than ever before' says new research
A new report finds that of farmers actively implementing sustainable practices, 89% improve soil health, and 61% are willing to make significant changes, yet 92% feel their efforts go unnoticed. The study highlights that clear, jargon-free communication, peer examples, recognition, profit alignment, and policy stability are key to advancing sustainability adoption. Farmers rely on advisers, trade media, and peers for guidance, while social media and online influencers are increasingly influential, especially among younger farmers.
By Mia Willemsen, Farmers Guardian, February 12, 2026
Bipartisan resolution honors women’s role in agriculture
The U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan resolution declaring 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer, recognizing the critical contributions of women to agriculture and supporting their leadership in the industry. Women now represent 36% of U.S. farmers and ranchers, manage significant farmland, and the designation aims to remove barriers and encourage the next generation to pursue agricultural careers.
By Emmy Powell, Texas Farm Bureau, February 13, 2026
In farm bill, GOP takes another swing at pesticide protections loathed by MAHA
A House Republican iteration of the farm bill released on Friday includes a provision that prevents states and courts from penalizing pesticide makers for failing to include warnings on their label about health effects, potentially angering their allies in the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement.
By Rachel Frazin, The Hill, February 13, 2026
Invest in the soil that sustains us all.
Land Core is the only organization exclusively focused on advancing federal policy and financial incentives for soil health. This work bridges political divides and creates real economic value for American farmers. Your support directly funds our work to build systems that ensure the soil that grows our food, quite possibly the most essential asset we have as a nation, is not overlooked.
Whether you give $25, $250, or more… or sign up for a small monthly donation, your contribution makes a tangible difference. This year, make supporting healthy soil and thriving farms part of your commitment to a resilient future.