Soil Health Institute

What are soil health benchmarks? At the recent Focus on Ag tour in North Carolina, Research Soil Scientist Dr. Cara Mathers explained how SHI’s benchmarking approach shows what’s achievable for a region’s soil health when growers adjust their management practices. She also walked the group of 40 ag consultants from 16 states through a soil health report for a North Carolina farmer. Other highlights of the March event, hosted by the National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultants and the North Carolina Agricultural Consultants Association, included: ? Soil Health Educator Emily Ball leading an interactive demo of the free Slakes app, comparing North Carolina soils under different management practices. ? Soil Health Educator Jessica Kelton highlighting partial budget findings, showing the economic impact of soil health practices in the region. Thank you to NAICC - National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultants and all who engaged in these valuable conversations!

Did you know that SHI's U.S. Regenerative Cotton Fund has knowledgeable Farmer Mentors available to consult with – for free? Farmer Mentors in Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, and Oklahoma can explain: ?? How they’ve successfully implemented conservation practices to improve soil health in their operations ?? The challenges they’ve faced and how they’ve overcome barriers when adopting soil health management systems We’d like to introduce Lars Ely, who manages his family farm in Mississippi, where they have maintained and created bird habitat for decades. Originally a cotton and cattle operation, the farm has been converted into a 100% no-till row crop farm. Connect with our Farmer Mentors here: https://lnkd.in/eR8NmgxD

Had a blast last month with Cristine Morgan at the McCain Foods #TasteGoodFeelGood event in #NYC! Shoutout to Rachel Brosnahan (Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) for helping with the rainfall simulator demonstration showcasing the impact of #regenerative farming practices on #SoilHealth and the environment. So excited for what McCain is doing with #RegenFries; such a privilege to be supporting their efforts on planet-friendly food. Soil Health Institute

As we conclude Day 1 of #ARPAE25, special thanks to the speakers and exhibitors who are paving the way for groundbreaking technological progress: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Constellation, Chevron Technology Ventures, Creative Ventures, Soil Health Institute, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Honeywell, Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering, GE Vernova, University of Maryland and many more. Follow #ARPAE25 for updates and be sure to tag ARPA-E if you are in attendance! Stay tuned for more. https://lnkd.in/e8SRn58Q.

Soil is the foundation of resilient agriculture and a healthier planet. ?? The Soil Health Institute’s U.S. Regenerative Cotton Fund (USRCF) equips farmers with science-driven solutions to improve soil health, increase profitability, and reduce emissions. Through their AIM for Climate Innovation Sprint, they are leading a transformation in cotton-growing regions across the U.S. ?? $150/acre net farm income increase for growers ?? .43 metric tons CO?e/acre/year reduction in greenhouse gas emissions ?? 10.5M cotton-growing acres now have benchmarks of how healthy soils are and how healthy they can become With 1,400+ farmers and advisors engaged, this initiative proves that healthy soils lead to stronger farms, resilient communities, and a more sustainable future. ?? Watch the latest AIM for Climate Innovation Report episode hosted by James Kotecki, Chief Storytelling Officer at Innovation Sprint Partner Agerpoint, where he speaks to Byron Rath, Chief Impact Officer, Soil Health Institute, to see how soil health is shaping climate-smart agriculture! #AIMforClimate #AIMforClimateImpact #InnovationReportSeries #SoilHealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #ClimateSmartAg #SustainableFarming #CarbonSequestration #ResilientFarming

Thanks so much for highlighting our work, James!

Soil is the foundation of resilient agriculture and a healthier planet. ?? The Soil Health Institute’s U.S. Regenerative Cotton Fund (USRCF) equips farmers with science-driven solutions to improve soil health, increase profitability, and reduce emissions. Through their AIM for Climate Innovation Sprint, they are leading a transformation in cotton-growing regions across the U.S. ?? $150/acre net farm income increase for growers ?? .43 metric tons CO?e/acre/year reduction in greenhouse gas emissions ?? 10.5M cotton-growing acres now have benchmarks of how healthy soils are and how healthy they can become With 1,400+ farmers and advisors engaged, this initiative proves that healthy soils lead to stronger farms, resilient communities, and a more sustainable future. ?? Watch the latest AIM for Climate Innovation Report episode hosted by James Kotecki, Chief Storytelling Officer at Innovation Sprint Partner Agerpoint, where he speaks to Byron Rath, Chief Impact Officer, Soil Health Institute, to see how soil health is shaping climate-smart agriculture! #AIMforClimate #AIMforClimateImpact #InnovationReportSeries #SoilHealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #ClimateSmartAg #SustainableFarming #CarbonSequestration #ResilientFarming

Advances in plant synthetic biology and high-throughput phenotyping of bioenergy crops are fostering agricultural start-ups and empowering U.S. farmers.? ?? Hear from Alex Luce of Creative Ventures, Cristine Morgan of Soil Health Institute, Angela Kent of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Om Parkash Dhankher of University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Nadia Shakoor of Donald Danforth Plant Science Center at Our Bioenergy-Powered Future Breakout Panel. This session explores bioenergy breakthroughs and their role in expanding domestic energy supplies.?Tune in on March 17th at 10:45 AM at #ARPAE25. https://lnkd.in/eBVn9sA.

Who's headed to the Regenerative Agriculture Summit North America? Don’t miss the mainstage talk on quantifying the impact of regenerative agriculture from SHI President and CEO Wayne Honeycutt, Ph.D.!

"If you think you can, you can. If you think you can't, you're right." This quote that Wayne Honeycutt, Ph.D., President of the Soil Health Institute, shared perfectly captures what struck me most about our conversation for this week's Seeds of Hope Podcast episode - the power of showing what's possible. When Wayne shared that his team has established soil health benchmarks across 7 million acres (as of 2023), helping farmers see their soil's true potential, I got goosebumps. It reminded me of the four-minute mile - once Roger Bannister proved it was possible, others followed. Sometimes we need to see what's achievable to push beyond our perceived limits. In this conversation, Wayne explains: - What soil health really means and why every soil's potential is unique to its local context - The Institute's landmark study that established standardized ways to measure soil health - research that's now being implemented by the USDA across all 50 states - Their groundbreaking work in soil health benchmarking, helping farmers understand and unlock their soil's true potential through data from over 7 million+ acres. "When we first started the Institute in 2015, not many people even used the term soil health. Now it's become a business imperative for major food companies." With research on benchmarks and effective measuring both brands and farmers are closer to pushing the limits of what was previously thought impossible. ?? Listen to the full conversation: Links in the comments P.S. If you want to join me at the Regenerative Agriculture Series Summit in Chicago in three weeks (March 25th-27th), use my discount code "SOH" for 10% off your registration.