With over 330 members nationwide, NACD Soil Health Champions are making the headlines across the U.S. for a multitude of reasons. Be sure to keep us informed of any news articles and interviews so we can help spread your soil health message and celebrate your successes in soil health.

Below is just a sampling of champions getting exposure in the media at the local level, the state and regional level and even internationally:

(BBC.com)

Now in its second series, these documentaries examine where our food comes from and how this might change in the near future with new technologies and innovative ways of farming.

Series two, episode five stars NACD Soil Health Champion Jeff Aalund from North Dakota explaining regenerative agriculture and the changes he's made to his operation.

Click here to access both series and an episode called "Follow the Food Chain."

(Forbes, March 9, 2021)

“The lessons I learned from Conser and Herrington came home to me in a recent conversation with Mr. Jimmy Emmons, a regenerative rancher and farmer based in Dewey County, Okla. Emmons believes that the strategy we have used to farm since the end of World War II has not only decreased biodiversity, lowered the productive capacity of the land, and made farms more susceptible to rains and drought, but has also devastated the economics of American farming families.

Emmons’s operations have generated much higher revenues at a much lower cost since he switched from “conventional” to regenerative techniques, and that is a combination that any businessperson – from a family farmer to a venture capitalist – can appreciate!”

Click here to read the full article.

(Arkansas Food and Farm)

“’I don’t see how we’re going to continue to farm the way we currently are. Something has to change,’ Robby Bevis says.

Bevis, a fifth-generation farmer in Scott, is one of a group of farmers working to develop the Arkansas Soil Health Alliance, a new 501c (3). Bevis, who began running the farm in 1999, began decreasing tillage on his property soon thereafter. He says that while some farmers may subsoil or do ‘deep tillage’ and think it’s having a positive impact on their soil, if you can easily stick your finger in the dirt, it has no structure, and if it has no structure, it’s not healthy soil.”

Click here to read the full article.

(Greenwire, May 14, 2021)

"The cows on Bobby Whitescarver's 150-acre farm can't get anywhere near the two streams that run through his property. When they're thirsty, they gather around the half-dozen watering stations he's put in remote areas of his fields — all connected through more than a mile of underground pipes.

Whitescarver didn't install the system to help the Earth or keep runoff out of the Chesapeake Bay, about 175 miles to the east, although he considers those positive results. His motivation was closer to home — keeping his cattle from drinking dirty water or giving birth to calves in it — and may offer clues about how to make farmland conservation stick as the Biden administration ramps up programs to combat the climate crisis and reduce pollution.

'That's the age-old question,' Whitescarver said on a walk around his Shenandoah Valley farm recently. 'How do you convince people to do something they don't want to do?'"

Click here to read the full article - subscription required.

(Cover Crop Strategies, May 22, 2020)

"Matt Griggs says embracing biomass in his fields has improved soil tilth and health, stabilized yields, enhanced weed control and produced a better-looking balance sheet."

Click here to read the full article.

The National Grazing Lands Coalition has teamed up with On Pasture and Yvette Gibson, an online learning specialist in grazing science, to bring you the information you need to be a successful grazier.

These resources are free to you, thanks in part to funding from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and donations from the editors and authors. They’re part of a larger outreach and collaboration effort to provide assistance to those stewarding our nation’s grazing lands.

The eBook introduces the principles you need to:

The online courses are available as two separate courses: Grazing 101 and/or Record-Keeping or a combined 30-Day Integrated Grazing & Record-Keeping Course. If you would like to take these courses in person, the instructor, Yvette Gibson, will be teaching them on Dec. 9, 2021 at the National Grazing Lands Conference.

Visit the On Pasture website to download your copy of the eBook, register for any of the online courses or just to get more information.

The Savory Institute is offering a free copy of the Foundations of Holistic Management eBook bundle when you subscribe to their monthly newsletter. This eBook bundle will show you the basics for Holistic Management theories, how to nurture ecosystem processes, and give you frameworks for holistic decision-making.

For more information about this opportunity, please visit their website.

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) is producing an eight-part animation series entitled "What is Sustainability Agriculture?," which highlights some common practices farmers and ranchers across the country use to improve profitability, quality of life and environmental stewardship.

Episodes focus on:

These episodes are less than four minutes each and available for viewing and sharing at the SARE website and on YouTube. Farmers, ranchers, educators and other agricultural professionals may download the video and/or embed it without modification into websites or other fair use educational presentations. This video series was produced through a collaboration of the SARE program and Pixeldust Studios.

SARE also provides a 12-page companion publication as a sampler of sustainable practices, showcasing the stories of different producers from around the country. This publication is free of charge whether downloaded as a PDF or a printed copy ordered on the SARE website.

2021 is beginning to fill up with plenty of virtual and in-person opportunities to network and learn about soil health. Check out some of these events and the many opportunities to engage at each. Be sure to let us know of any soil health events we can promote to the network by emailing Beth Mason.

June 7, 2021

In-person and online (free)

Hosted by NACD Soil Health Champion Mitchell Hora (Iowa).

The event will be held at the Washington County Fair Grounds (611 IA-1, Washington, Ind. 52353), as a large crowd is expected. Field tours will occur after the main events.

The field day will be held in-person, but it will also be broadcasted live for virtual viewers. Events include breakout sessions, networking opportunities and additional Q&A sessions.

Speakers include NACD Soil Health Champion Russell Hedrick (N.C.) and Dr. Rick Hanye, the developer of the Haney Soil Health Test.

Registration is free. For more information or to register for this event, please click the button below.

June 23 – 24, 2021

Virtual

This event will feature a fast-paced program of no-till and cover crop experts sharing field-proven ideas to help you boost yields, save time, and increase profits.

Speakers include NACD Soil Health Champions Annie Dee (Ala.) and Jay Baxter (Del.)

Registration is free. For more information or to register for this event, please click the button below.

July 24 – 27, 2021

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Chicago – Magnificent Mile

Chicago, Ill.

For more information on the program, to register, and to reserve your hotel room, click the button below.

July 26 – 28, 2021

76th Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual Meeting Virtual

Theme: One World Connected through Conservation

For more information and to register, please click the button below.

August 4 – 6, 2021

Marriott Downtown

Des Moines, Iowa

More information coming soon.

August 5 – 6, 2021

Embassy Suites by Hilton Omaha La Vista Hotel & Conference Center

Omaha, Neb.

Top strip-tillers, agronomists and researchers are assembled for two days of learning and networking. The conference offers a mix of general sessions featuring top experts, profit-boosting Strip-Till Classrooms led by strip-till authorities, and interactive farmer-to farmer Strip-Till Roundtables.

For more information and to register, please click the button below.

December 6 – 9, 2021

Myrtle Beach, S.C.

For more information on the program and to register, please click the button below.

Scholarship Opportunity: The NatGLC is proud to offer the Lynn Myers/Hezekiah Gibson Producer Memorial Scholarship for the conference. This scholarship provides two producers $500 each to cover costs associated with attending the conference. The deadline to apply is October 15, 2021. Scholarship recipients will be notified by November 15, 2021. Click here to apply.

Outreach Opportunity: Share your Story at the 8NGLC Conference. Producers are welcome to submit oral presentation proposals to be a speaker at the conference by May 30. Proposals should be 400 words or less and can be submitted here.

The National Grazing Lands Coalition plans to video all presentations for proceedings.

Soil Health Champion Ed McNamara of the Goodhue County Soil and Water Conservation District in Minnesota sent us a snapshot of his springtime planting of soybeans into green triticale.

He reports the moisture is great despite having only one inch of rain since March!

NACD's Annual Service Awards Program recognizes individuals and organizations for their outstanding work and leadership in soil and water conservation.

Nominations for the Friend of Conservation Award and the Distinguished Service Award are now open until Aug. 31, 2021.

The 2021 awardees will be recognized at a ceremony held in their honor at NACD's 2022 Annual Meeting.

Please submit any questions to awards@email.nacdnet.org.

Nominate a No-Tiller or No-Till Expert for the 26th Class of No-Till Innovator Awards.

This award honors forward-thinking individuals who have identified ways to no-till effectively, more economically, and with better impact on the environment. Nominees can be either a farmer, a researcher or an organization who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of no-till farming.

Nominees from both Canada and the U.S. are eligible. The 26th Class of No-Till Innovators will be announced and honored at the 2022 National No-Tillage Conference this coming January in Louisville, Ky.

The deadline to submit your nomination is June 25, 2021.

In a virtual ceremony on April 29, NACD Soil Health Champion Blaine Hitchens (right) from Delaware was recognized as the recipient of the Governor’s Agricultural Conservation Award for Sussex County for his passion for improving soil health.

At this ceremony, Delaware Governor John Carney, along with DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin, Delaware Association of Conservation Districts President Richard Carlisle, and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist Kasey Taylor, also signed a proclamation officially designating April 25 – May 2 as Stewardship Week in Delaware under the theme, “Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities.”

Get to know about Hitchens and his passion for soil health through this brief video, showcasing his diverse operation and his many efforts for outreach in soil health.

Looking for another podcast on soil health? Check out the No-Till Farmer Podcast.

Are you a member of our Facebook Group? If you are an NACD Soil Health Champion or the conservation district/ Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) employee who sponsors a Champion, be sure you connect with us on Facebook.

Share your conservation articles, your pictures, your updates and your events with us by connecting through Facebook! This can not only be a chance to network about soil health, but it can also be a chance to do outreach even among other members.

New rules with Facebook don't allow us to send out invitations to individuals we aren't already connected with on the platform.

So, be sure to search for "NACD Soil Health Champions" and request to join today!

April 22, 2021

WASHINGTON – On Earth Day, NACD announced the formation of a Climate Action Task Force to assess current and emerging climate policy opportunities and make recommendations to NACD’s leadership that utilize the technical knowledge and expertise of conservation districts as part of the U.S. solution to the global climate crisis.

“Conservation districts provide an invaluable service in all communities across the U.S. and stand ready to amplify the work yet to be done for the strength of our nation in three important areas: climate mitigation, wildfire preparedness and environmental services,” said NACD President Michael Crowder.

“We’ve known since the first conservation districts were created in the 1930’s that soil can be made healthy again,” he said. “It’s important to keep locally-led conservation at the forefront of U.S. climate mitigation efforts to set strong direction that also serves the needs of local communities.”

Click here to read the full press release.

The task force includes NACD Soil Health Champions Jimmy Emmons (Okla.) and Ryan Britt (Mo.).