Efforts to restore and protect soil health played a prominent role in this week’s Sustainable Agriculture Summit, hosted by the Field To Market® alliance and several other prominent organizations. The high-profile event, Nov. 15 – 17 in Atlanta, reinforced a commitment to soil health as a powerful driver of sustainable agriculture.
Nicholas Goeser, Soil Health Partnership director and National Corn Growers Association director of soil health and sustainability, spoke on a panel discussing the importance of soil health to agricultural sustainability.
“Components of soil health provide a key opportunity to improve productivity, environmental quality, and the well-being of farmers and others – all key goals of Field to Market and the Sustainable Ag Summit,” Goeser said. “We’ve seen firsthand how members of the agriculture supply chain can work together to protect natural resources and promote long-term economic viability, and we want to emphasize that soil health is key to that effort.”
The Summit brings together diverse stakeholders from across the food and agricultural supply chain to advance continuous improvement in agricultural sustainability. The National Pork Board, the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops, the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association and the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef joined the other partners, including NCGA, to host the gathering.
Goeser spoke during The Nature Conservancy’s session, “Rethink Soils: A Roadmap to U.S. Soil Health.” TNC, supported by a grant from the General Mills Foundation, has issued a public report and roadmap for coordinated, collective action to secure conservation and economic benefits of healthy soils. TNC provides technical support to SHP.
Dave Brown, a Decatur, Ill. farmer enrolled in SHP, spoke during a supply chain session put on by the Midwest Row Crop Collaborative, which earlier this year committed substantial financial support to SHP. Other NCGA farmers who spoke at the event included Keith Alverson, a board leader from Chester, South Dakota.
For more, visit soilhealthpartnership.org.
CommonGround
CommonGround is a group of farmers connecting with consumers through conversations about science and research and personal stories about food and misinformation surrounding farming. Supported by the NCGA and state corn organizations.
SHP
The Soil Health Partnership (SHP) is a farmer-led initiative that fosters transformation in agriculture through improved soil health. Administered by NCGA the partnership has more than 220 working farms enrolled in 16 states. SHP’s mission is to utilize science and data to partner with farmers who are adopting conservation agricultural practices that improve the economic and environmental sustainability of the farm.
CUTC
The Corn Utilization and Technology Conference (CUTC) is a biennial event happening this June. Learn more.
