Conservation

Tap A $50 Billion Potential For $2/Acre

Tue, 12 May 2026 19:31:56 GMT

With a database of more than 1,100 programs, LandOption aims to guide farmers looking to stack federal, state, carbon, conservation, and recreational programs. Added up, CEO Eric Dinger estimates those agricultural and conservation programs are worth between $50-80 billion annually.

The Nebraska-based company is using AI to maximize income for farmers and landowners via its four-step process: Listen, Analyze, Navigate, Deliver. Navigating the programs, continuous updates, and list of eligibility requirements can be daunting.

While most programs require operational changes and multiple-year commiments, LandOption identifies which changes offer the highest financial return across multiple stacked incentives.

The opportunity to enroll the same acres in different programs—referred to as stacking—complicates things further. But using the strategy to enroll in multiple projects at one time is the greatest opportunity to maximize the dollars. Most common, federal programs can be simultaneously used alongside carbon programs.

“Currently, right now, no federal programs are making any carbon claims. So you can avoid additionality issues when it comes to these federal programs being used alongside and stacked with carbon programs,” says Ben Paige, director of operations and customer success at LandOption.

Upfront Cost to Avoid FOMO

For $2/acre, LandOption provides a “game plan” that identifies every available incentive for a specific parcel. On average, every parcel examined shows 70-75 available programs.

“Our database covers geographical eligibility, practice requirements, payment structures, contract terms, and hidden costs,” Paige says. “It helps you visualize being enrolled in multiple programs at once so you can choose the best path.”

The ‘Easy Button’

For a 10% commission—paid only when the program payment is received—LandOption manages the heavy lifting: application submission, deadline tracking, compliance monitoring, and payment verification.

Real-World Case Studies

Case 1: Southwest Minnesota Corn/Soybean Farmer (1,500 acres)

Background: No prior cover crop use, frustrated with complicated programs, tight margins
Results: 84 programs identified at ~$92/acre potential value
Enrolled: 7 stacked programs generating $210,000+ annually
Program layers: Carbon program + federal EQIP cost-share + local cost-share + habitat programs + tax programs + recreational hunting lease

Case 2: Southeast Nebraska Landowner (600 acres)

Background: Absentee landowner, family operates farm via cost-share agreement (60-40 split)
Results: 41 programs identified, enrolled in 4 programs
Annual payments: $21,000
Amplified engagement: Negotiated carbon program participation with tenant farmer through cost-share agreement for seed treatment application, with 60-40 split on carbon payments. Farmer had such a positive experience in the carbon program they enrolled an additional 1,400 acres.

Declutter the Carbon Opportunities

While carbon credit prices have struggled, “insetting” programs—driven by supply chain demands from companies like Cargill and Bunge—are more popular than ever.

“We break down the complexity to answer the core questions: What do I actually have to do, and which one pays the best?” Paige says. He notes that all agricultural carbon programs require landowner notification and consent when tenants enroll acres.

Bridging the Landowner and Operator Gap

Dinger notes operators focus on practice-based changes and operational cost-share (carbon, cover crops). Landowners show more interest in conservation easements, long-term programs, and succession planning, with conversations centered on asset valuation vs. income.

In addition to other adviser groups, Land Option works through Farmers National Company farm managers to leverage existing landowner relationships. The partnership enables efficient data sharing and integration with FNC’s reporting cycles.

Are Your Fields A Green Light? Use the Three-Factor System To Guide Planting Decisions

Fri, 08 May 2026 16:51:42 GMT

Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie is urging farmers to pay close attention to soil conditions and local weather forecasts as planting accelerates across the Midwest.

Ferrie and his team at Crop-Tech Consulting recommend using a “red-yellow-green light” system to guide planting decisions. The practice is based on three factors: soil moisture, seed chilling risks and the 10-day emergence forecast.

The information on the green-yellow-red color system for planting is pretty self-explanatory, says Ken Ferrie. Once you know the light color, you can see the meaning and the action he recommends taking.

(Crop-Tech Consulting)

Regional Forecast And Recommendation

Despite ongoing weather struggles from cold and rain in some parts of the country, planting progress continues across much of the upper Midwest.

For central Illinois, Ferrie says there is a green light for Monday, with some areas getting a yellow or red light for Tuesday. The U.S. National Weather Service says a weak cold front will bring the next chance for storms later on Tuesday, some of which could be severe. Temperatures will turn cooler for midweek.

Ferrie warns that the first 12 to 24 hours seed corn is in the ground are the most critical. During this window of time, the seed absorbs 30% of its weight in water. If that water is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the cells lose elasticity and tear. Chilled seed corn can easily result in a 10% stand loss.

“You can literally tell the difference between fields that were planted in the morning compared to in an afternoon that’s going into a cool night,” Ferrie says. “That is why you’ll see our lights change at noon some days, trying to get enough water absorbed before the soil temperature drops.”

You can get more information from Ferrie on the perils of seed corn chilling in this brief video:

Ferrie says if corn takes longer than 11 days to emerge, those kernels that were planted “spike down” will struggle to compete.

“The spike-down plants can be a week or two weeks behind the spike-up plants,” Ferrie explains. “At that point, they will be more than a collar behind and not produce a regular-sized ear.”

Listen to Ferrie’s complete recommendations in his Boots In The Field podcast:

Soybean Farmers Detail ‘Sustainable Practices’ That Can Pay Off

Thu, 07 May 2026 21:14:51 GMT

Cover crops were nearly scratched off Laurie and Jim Isley’s list of practices on their Michigan farm a few years ago. The reason? Production costs were adding roughly $35 an acre to their budget, which was already stretched beyond thin.

“Things were really limited for us, so we looked at that practice really, really hard,” says Laurie, who farms with her husband near Palmyra, Mich. “We can absolutely be environmentally sustainable, but the bottom line is we’re not going to stay in business unless we are profitable.”

The use of cover crops is back on firmer economic ground now, she adds, thanks to cost-share programs such as Farmers for Soil Health (FSH), which help make soil health investments possible for income-strapped growers.

Making Cover Crops Cash-Flow

The biggest hurdle for cover crops has always been the upfront cost versus the delayed gratification of better soil structure. The Farmers for Soil Health initiative is currently bridging that gap for growers in 20 states. Isley says the program offers up to $35 per acre in cost-share, plus technical assistance.

For many farmers, the frustration with government or industry programs often lies in the “fine print.” Isley highlights two specific features of the FSH program that make it a more useful tool for many row-crop growers:

The “No Look Back” Policy: Unlike many programs that only reward “new” adopters, FSH is open to almost any grower. “You are eligible for this program whether you are planting cover crops for the very first time, or whether you’ve been planting them for 10, 15 or 20 years,” Isley says.
Short-Term Commitment: “It’s a one-year contract, but you can re-enroll in it year-after-year (with up to 2,000 acres per operation) through the length of time Farmers for Soil Health continues,” Isley notes.

Beyond the dollars, the program addresses the “how-to” hurdle. Each state has designated advisers to help with cover crop species selection, seeding methods (including the use of drones), and termination timing.

“It isn’t just, ‘Go forth and find cover crops,’” Isley says. “Sometimes you just need some expert help in order to get started on something. Even if you say, ‘I’m only going to do 100 acres this year,’ that’s still 100 acres you’re going to get that $35 an acre on to get started.”

High-Oleic Soybeans: A Revenue-Side Opportunity

While cost-shares help manage expenses, Matthew Chapman is looking at the other side of the ledger: revenue. For his east-central Indiana farm, high-oleic soybean contracts have been a game-changer.

“This project’s really been a home run for the whole soybean industry,” Chapman notes. He says that backed by checkoff investments and partnerships with industry giants like Bayer, Corteva, and Beck’s, the specialty beans have already delivered over $400 million in total returns to U.S. farmers.

Chapman started off growing high-oleic soybeans on 20% of his acreage and eventually scaled to 100%. The premiums — ranging in his area from $0.75 to $1.25 per bushel last year — were a huge boost to his bottom line. But he says they have some requirements that farmers need to consider.

“Oftentimes you’re going to need to store this crop, depending on how far away your purchaser is,” he notes. “Your weed program and your plan need to start in the fall. There’s just a lot to consider ahead of time.”

The market is also evolving. High-oleic oil is prized by restaurants for its long fry life and trans-fat-free profile, and new markets are emerging. Chapman notes that his 2026 crop is destined for dairy feed — the beans will be roasted, cracked and fed whole.

United Soybean Board (USB) projections suggest that by 2027, about half of the U.S. high-oleic soybean crop could be headed to the dairy sector. Industrial uses are also gaining traction in asphalt, bioplastics and fire-resistant hydraulic oil, especially in sensitive environments like mining or near waterways.

Navigating The Carbon And Fuel Frontier

While the federal process for carbon intensity (CI) modeling is still unfolding, farmers see opportunity in markets tied to carbon scores and renewable fuels.

USB is currently funding research to ensure farmers aren’t left behind as these markets mature. One surprising finding from Iowa State University: simply planting earlier can reduce nitrous oxide emissions, a major contributor to CI scores.

“That really costs us nothing to do,” Isley says. By documenting this “free” practice change, farmers can potentially lower their CI scores and increase the value of their grain in renewable fuel markets.

However, participation requires data. Chapman emphasizes that farmers need to be the masters of their own information.

“Whenever you’re selling the data off your farm, which is what this is, it starts with knowing what we have,” he says. “It’s hard to sell something unless you know what you’ve got when you start off.”

In southeast Kansas, farmer Charles Atkinson sees this playing out in the biodiesel and renewable diesel sectors. He believes that using the product on the farm is the best way to support the market.

“It’s a product that we’ve developed, that we’ve raised, and it should be No. 1 on our priority list to use it,” Atkinson says.

The “Plan A Through F” Mindset Is Needed

Beneath all the programs and markets, the three growers say long-term profitability still depends on flexibility: having enough tools and plans on the shelf to adjust to whatever the season and markets throw at them.

The need for flexibility shows up in day-to-day decision-making. Atkinson describes his operation, based near Great Bend, as one that constantly shifts among no-till, cover crops, chemistry options and even occasional tillage, depending on the year’s weather, pests and markets.

“It seems like we have plan A, B, C, D, E and F, and depending on what gets thrown at us and what Mother Nature gives us, we have to figure out what plan to run,” he says. “Last year, I had a beautiful plan together. It was all going to work. And I think we were down to plan D before we got finished up.”

Chapman takes a similar view. He says farmers like having “a lot of tools in the toolbox,” even ones they rarely use.

“As the world’s always changing, we want to be proactive and we want to do stuff that we can voluntarily do on our farm,” he says. “Move towards that goal of leaving the farm better than you found it, and hope the day never comes that something’s your only option.”

Isley says programs such as Farmers for Soil Health, along with EQIP, CSP and state or watershed initiatives, help move more growers toward that toolbox mentality by reducing risk.

In her view, profitable sustainability isn’t about any single practice, but about using the right mix of programs, premiums and practices to fit each farm.

“I think we often are hesitant to look for help, because we want to be self-reliant,” she says. “But sometimes it really makes a difference if we look for technical assistance and for those resources that are out there and available to us.”

Isley, Chapman, and Atkinson shared their perspectives in a webinar, “How Sustainable Production and Economic Viability Can Coexist,” on Thursday. The program was hosted by Agri-Pulse in partnership with the United Soybean Board.

EPA Opens Public Comment Period On Draft Fungicide Strategy

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:19:42 GMT

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is offering the U.S. public an opportunity to help shape the future of agricultural safety, unveiling a draft Fungicide Strategy designed to balance the needs of American farmers with the protection of the nation’s most vulnerable wildlife.

The proposal marks a significant step in the agency’s effort to meet its dual mandates under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). By creating a more efficient and transparent framework for pesticide registration, the EPA says it aims to “safeguard more than 1,000 federally endangered and threatened species” while ensuring growers maintain the tools necessary to protect the nation’s food supply.

A New Framework for Modern Farming

The draft strategy focuses on conventional agricultural fungicides across the lower 48 states — an area covering approximately 41 million treated acres annually. Rather than a one-size-fits-all mandate, the proposal introduces a three-step framework:

Identify Impacts: Assessing potential population-level effects on listed species.
Mitigation Planning: Pinpointing specific measures to reduce those risks.
Targeted Application: Determining exactly where these protections are most needed based on where endangered and threatened species live and how fungicides move through the environment.

The agency emphasizes that while this strategy guides future regulatory actions, it does not impose immediate requirements. Instead, the strategy serves as a roadmap for upcoming registration reviews, with the EPA promising public input on every specific action before it is finalized.

Balancing Innovation and Conservation

Saying that it recognizes farmers are the backbone of the U.S. economy, the EPA’s draft includes several updates to provide greater flexibility. Notably, the plan expands options for reducing spray drift buffer distances and introduces new mitigation tools, such as the use of “guar gum” as a spray adjuvant.

"[American farmers] need a diverse toolbox of innovative agricultural technologies to manage crop disease, prevent resistance, and produce the affordable, nutritious food that feeds our country,” the EPA says, in a press release. “The draft Fungicide Strategy is designed to ensure those innovative tools remain available and that they are used in ways that protect the environment and endangered species.

How to Get Involved

In a push for transparency, the EPA has opened a 60-day public comment period to gather feedback from scientists, conservationists, Tribal partners and the agricultural community.

Public Comment: Stakeholders can review the strategy and submit formal feedback via (Docket: EPA-HQ-OPP-2026-2973) through June 29, 2026.
Informational Webinar: The agency will host a public webinar on May 20, 2026, at 2 p.m. ET to walk through the proposal and answer questions. Register here .

The EPA expects to review all public input and finalize the Fungicide Strategy by November 2026.

Blake Vince Shares 1.7 Million Reasons To Stop Tilling Your Soil

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 21:05:44 GMT

Blake Vince says some of the most highly-valued help on his 1,200-acre Ontario, Canada, farm never show up on a payroll sheet.

They live under his boots.

“One day I went out with a shovel, flipped over a slice of soil about 12 inches by 12 inches, and I started counting earthworms,” Vince recalls. “I counted 40 in that one square.”

He quickly estimated how many earthworms likely live in one acre of his cropland: “Multiply that 40 by 43,560 [the square feet in one acre] and you get 1,742,400. That’s a hell of a lot of earthworms out there in my soil doing the work.”

For Vince, earthworms are more than a sign of good soil — they’re central characters in how he farms, evaluates risk and stays profitable. In a production system shaped by no-till, planting green and cover crops, he sees earthworms as the quiet workforce that’s helping hold the whole thing together, he recently told farmers attending the 2026 Soil Health Conference in Aberdeen, S.D.

(Blake Vince)

From Traditional Tillage To Tiny Tillers

Vince grew up believing that aggressive tillage comes at a cost. The renowned fifth-generation farmer from Merlin — a 750-person farming community in southwest Ontario — is considered a conservation farming pioneer in the region, having used no-till for over 40 years to protect soil structure.

“(I learned early) that tillage was eroding our largest capital investment, our soil. Soil is not an infinite resource. I can’t stress that enough,” he says.

Blake’s father and his brothers started to no-till in 1983 when he was just 11 years old.

“Our motive for what we do on our farm first and foremost is to remain financially viable,” he says. “And then what’s important is the fact that we’re protecting the environment.”

Those two goals continue today on the farm, which he operates with his father, Elwin. Together, they grow commercial corn, soybeans and winter wheat, and cover crop for seed on approximately 1,200 acres.

The father-son team seeds cash crops directly into living covers such as cereal rye to suppress weeds, protect soil and extend the period of living roots. Vince says they use planting green to cut passes, reduce herbicide pressure and boost resilience in dry spells, evaluating the benefits by agronomics and economics, not appearances.

Even with its proximity to the Great Lakes (see image below), the farm’s heavy Brookston clay operates within a moisture-strapped, 16-inch rainfall zone. In such an environment, soil disturbance is critical.

Blake Vince’s farm is based just north of Lake Erie and south of Lake Huron. But despite its proximity to the Great Lakes, the farm only sees about 16 inches of rain annually.

(Blake Vince)

Vince categorizes soils as either “defensive” or “offensive.” On offensive soils, he believes aggressive tillage can continue for years with little visible impact.

“You can till it with the most aggressive tillage passes, and you can still grow a crop… So the decline is gradual,” he contends, noting he believes much of the upper Midwest has offensive soils.

His own ground is the opposite, and he refers to his soils as being defensive. As a result, the wrong tillage pass at the wrong moisture level could smear the soil profile, seal off pores and restrict roots just when crops need water the most.

“We can’t go down into the depth of the soil to bring up the much-needed moisture during that critical period of year when it’s 90 degrees Fahrenheit outside and the corn is trying to pollinate,” Vince says.

Betting On Biology Instead Of Iron

When Vince talks about earthworms, he sounds like a businessman who’s discovered an overlooked, underpaid labor force.

“When an earthworm poops, it’s pH neutral,” he says. “So it’s bringing all of those nutrients from depth, turning organic material — last year’s crop residue — into plant-available nutrients for subsequent crops that we grow.”

In other words: free nutrient cycling, free aggregation, free tillage.

A moment that cemented Vince’s faith in earthworms started with a disagreement. His independent agronomist, looking at soil test results, told him he needed to apply lime. Vince didn’t dispute that. The sticking point was how to use it.

“She suggested to me, ‘Blake, you need to add lime, which I agreed, but in order to use that lime and make it most effective, you need to till it in,’” he recalls. “And I said, ‘No. That’s where the buck stops. I am not interested in doing tillage. It costs time, it costs energy, it costs money — diesel fuel, depreciation, as we all know.’”

Vince’s answer sounded simple, almost unbelievable, even naive.

“I’ve got so many earthworms, they’ll do the work for me,” he told her.

Later, while installing tile drainage, he found the proof he’d been looking for. At the top of an earthworm midden — a vertical burrow —he saw a dusting of white on the soil surface.

“So folks, this is an earthworm midden,” he told the audience as he showed the image (see below). “You can see at the top of the picture, that’s lime that’s been broadcast on the surface. That earthworm has crawled to the surface. It’s got its body coated in lime that we’ve spread just on the surface, and now it’s bringing it down in its middens, down in its vertical burrows.”

Earthworms help move lime below the soil’s surface.

(Blake Vince)

For most farmers, incorporating lime means fuel, wear on steel and the risk of compaction or smearing. For Vince, it meant waiting on the night shift.

“If we think back to that picture where I was standing there with those earthworm casts, how much horsepower would be required to do tillage at that depth?” he asked the audience. “More than I have.”

In his view, every pass he doesn’t make is one more way he can reduce costs and protect his bottom line.

The contributions of earthworms to global food development have been assessed by the National Institutes of Health . The agency reports earthworms contribute to roughly 6.5% of global grain (maize, rice, wheat, barley) production and 2.3% of legume production, equivalent to over 140 million metric tons annually.

The Unseen Economics Underfoot

Behind Vince’s enthusiasm for earthworms and farming green lies a hard-edged focus on economics. From a brief stint in financial services, he brought one non-negotiable rule home to the farm: pay yourself first.

“The number one rule of financial planning is what? Pay yourself first,” he says. “With that mentality, I started thinking: how do I do that here? I don’t control the price of seed, chemicals, fertilizer, diesel, or machinery. But I can control how I manage my soil.”

One of his major “pay yourself first” decisions a decade ago was switching to 100% non-GMO soybeans. Growing them allows him to brown bag his own seed without worrying about patent infringement, all while securing a market premium.

“I’ve been doing this for over 10 years now,” he says. “Mathematically, I figure I’m well over a million dollars ahead in net profit, simply because of my willingness to think differently.”

That thinking applies to earthworms, too. To Vince, every earthworm burrow is a tiny cost-saving device. Every casting is a granule of fertilizer he doesn’t have to buy or risk losing to runoff. Every year he skips deep tillage is a year he avoids burning diesel and breaking shear bolts.

“Doing nothing, in all actuality, is doing something,” he told the audience. By “nothing,” he doesn’t mean neglect; he means resisting the urge to disturb the natural infrastructure the worms are building for him.

More Than A Soil Test Number

Vince doesn’t romanticize his soils. He’s pragmatic, often blunt, about what’s at stake when farmers ignore the biology just beneath the surface.

“We abuse our land because we regard it as a commodity,” he says, quoting conservationist Aldo Leopold. Then he adds his own twist. “‘Dirt’ is a four-letter word I wish everybody in agriculture would remove from their vocabulary… It’s soil. It’s a collection of living, breathing organisms, and we need to treat it with respect.”

On his farm, that respect looks like cover crops to keep the soil armored, no-till to protect structure and planting green to keep living roots feeding the underground food web as long as possible. Earthworms are both beneficiaries and drivers of that system.

“My main focus is preparing our transfer of our farm to the next generation, regardless if they’re our kids, or they’re somebody else’s kids,” Vince says. “I want [the farm] to be as productive as possible, so they can be a success.”

As long as he keeps the soils covered and the roots living, he knows his million-man workforce underground will be clocking in for their shift every single day, helping the farm thrive.

Listen to Vince’s keynote presentation during the 2026 Soil Health Conference here .

Why One California Farmer is Betting Big on Algae for Fertility

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 14:44:34 GMT

Rows of citrus trees stretch across the landscape under the California sun, their canopies forming neat green corridors between irrigation lines and tractor paths. Some trees are newly trimmed, others older and thicker from years of growth. It’s the kind of orchard scene that has long defined agriculture in this part of the state, where permanent crops dominate the landscape and generations of farmers have worked to coax productivity from difficult soils and an increasingly unpredictable water supply.

For fifth-generation farmer Justin Wylie , these groves are more than just another orchard to manage. They represent an opportunity to rethink how soil works on his farm and whether biology — specifically algae — can play a larger role in the future of California agriculture.

Wylie and his family farm roughly 4,000 acres across California’s Central Valley. Some of that land has been in the family for generations, while other acres are leased. Like many farms in the region, the operation produces permanent crops such as pistachios and citrus, commodities that require long-term planning and careful soil management.

“This is a long-term lease with an investment company partner,” Wylie says. “And we just entered into that lease last year. It’s a 15-year lease with a five-year extension.”

One of the ranches he’s currently working to improve came through a recent leasing agreement that gives the family time to invest in the land and experiment with new approaches. That time horizon matters. With permanent crops like oranges, orchard decisions can affect productivity for decades. The trees must be pruned, fertilized and irrigated carefully year after year, and the soil beneath them has to remain functional through increasingly hot and dry growing seasons.

When Wylie’s team first took over the ranch, some improvements were necessary before any new ideas could be tested.

“We were really lucky on this ranch,” Wylie says. “The previous guys, they did let some of the trees get overgrown, so we did have to come in and push a hedge and top and resize those trees.”

While the orchard needed structural work above ground, Wylie says the bigger opportunity lies beneath the surface. The ranch is now part of a broader effort on the farm to transition a portion of the acres toward organic and regenerative systems.

“For the majority of the ranch, as far as fertility, the soils, the condition of the ranch,” he says, “I think the big thing with this ranch is transitioning from a conventional model to an organic regenerative, which is part of our commitment in the lease. It’s part of the model of the lease here — that we transition the ranch from conventional to certified organic and regenerative.”

The transition is happening gradually. Wylie says roughly 25% of the farm’s acres are currently part of that shift, allowing the family to experiment with new soil-building practices without risking the entire operation.

But the push to explore regenerative systems didn’t begin with markets or policy. It started with a deeply personal experience.

A Personal Connection to Soil Health

Wylie says his interest in soil biology and regenerative farming took shape nearly a decade ago, around 2015 or 2016. At the time, his family was dealing with a serious health challenge involving his young son.

The experience pushed him to start researching nutrition, gut health and the human microbiome — topics that would eventually reshape how he thought about farming.

“[My son] was sick as a kid, and so we were doing everything we could to heal him,” Wylie says. “His gut ended up in the hospital a few times with an autism diagnosis.”

Doctors and therapists offered guidance, but the recommendations didn’t sit well with Wylie.

“And then at the time, the doctors and the therapist told us basically, ‘Practice acceptance,’” he says.

Instead, Wylie started searching for more information about gut health and what researchers were learning about the microbiome. Over time, he began seeing parallels between the human digestive system and the biological activity that happens in healthy soils.

“They started figuring out that autistic kids had very weak gut microbiomes,” Wylie says. “And so when you make that connection as a farmer and you start saying, ‘What are all the things I can do at home to not stress that?’”

That question eventually carried over into his work in the field. The farm’s first experiment with regenerative practices was modest.

“We started on 40 acres of pistachios, playing around with it,” he says. “What can we do here growing in a different system?”

At the same time, the regenerative agriculture movement was gaining momentum online, making it easier for farmers to explore new ideas.

“At the time, there were quite a few regenerative agronomists out there releasing podcasts and YouTube videos,” Wylie says. “So the information was there. It was never on my radar before. But once you join that community and industry, it’s pretty interesting.”

Building on What Came Before

Even as Wylie explores new biological tools, he says the farm’s current practices still build heavily on the work done by previous generations.

His father’s generation invested heavily in agronomy research and orchard management strategies, developing systems that helped the farm stay productive in California’s demanding growing environment. From pruning methods to fertilizer programs, many of those lessons still guide how the farm operates today.

Rather than abandoning those systems, Wylie says his goal is to refine them.

“It’s really a tweak,” he says. “In my mind it’s a slight change in the method, not a complete start over.”

The farm continues to rely on the knowledge accumulated through decades of conventional farming, while gradually introducing new practices aimed at improving soil biology.

“We’re just trying to make tweaks to the system that we’re already operating in on the other ranches to see if we can do this a different way,” Wylie says.

One of the biggest challenges in that transition is managing fertility.

California orchards have historically relied on precise fertilizer programs to keep trees productive. But moving toward organic or regenerative inputs can create a different nutrient dynamic, especially during the early years of transition.

Wylie says growers sometimes underestimate how sensitive orchards can be during that shift.

Managing the Transition Carefully

According to Wylie, one of the most common mistakes farmers make when transitioning to regenerative systems is reducing fertilizer too quickly.

He says orchards that have spent decades under conventional management are accustomed to intensive nutrient programs, and abruptly changing that system can cause yields to fall sharply.

On some ranches where regenerative practices have been in place for several years, Wylie says the difference in soil structure is already noticeable.

“There’s other ranches we’ve been farming regenerative for five years,” he says. “You can stick your hand in the soil and get your fingers down right there on the berms next to the trees — it’s chocolate cake.”

But he warns farmers shouldn’t assume that kind of soil health will appear immediately after switching systems.

“Until that day, do not pull back,” Wylie says.

He says the biggest mistake happens when growers assume they can immediately match their old fertility programs using organic inputs.

“That’s the mistake that growers make,” he says. “They think I’m going organic regenerative, I can match dollar for dollar, I can do the same thing I was doing conventionally.”

Instead, Wylie says the transition often produces what he calls a “J-curve.”

“You’re going to see that J-curve,” he says. “I mean, it’s going to tank.”

To avoid that, his farm relies heavily on testing.

“We pull a lot of sap samples, multiple tissues and soils per year,” Wylie says. “Kind of watching our fertility and making sure these trees are fed.”

He says growers must remember trees grown in conventional systems are used to consistent nutrient availability.

“The soil has been farmed a certain way,” he says. “These trees are used to being fed intensively in that conventional system.”

And organic fertilizers don’t always behave the same way.

“The organic fertilizers just don’t work as well,” Wylie says. “So you have to be careful.”

Introducing Algae Into the System

As Wylie searched for ways to accelerate soil improvement, one newer tool caught his attention: microalgae.

The technology comes from soil health company MyLand, which produces living algae on farms and distributes it through irrigation systems.

“We’re probably in our fourth or fifth season,” Wylie says.

The idea behind the system is relatively simple. Rather than applying microbes directly to the soil, the system produces algae that help stimulate microbial activity already present in the soil ecosystem.

Jeff Tuel says the technology centers around specialized tanks designed to grow algae on the farm itself.

“We call these APVs, algae producing vessels,” Tuel says. “And essentially, the sole purpose is to grow algae here.”

Water from the farm is stored inside the vessels, where conditions are controlled to encourage rapid algae growth.

“So for all intents and purposes, this is kind of like the algae producing container,” Tuel says.

From there, the algae are delivered through irrigation systems already used on the farm.

“And we try to keep that holding tank to a level where if the irrigator is irrigating a 12-hour set, 24, 36,” Tuel says. “Our main objective is for them to never run dry of algae.”

Production is adjusted to match the grower’s irrigation schedule.

“We harvest according to the grower’s irrigation schedule,” he says.

Another important step happens before the system is even installed. MyLand scientists collect algae samples from the farm itself, identifying native strains that are already adapted to the environment.

“The reason native is important is because it’s used to the pH, it’s used to the droughts, the floods, everything Mother Nature’s thrown at it,” Tuel says.

Because those organisms already exist in the local ecosystem, they are more likely to survive once applied to the soil.

“Its odds of surviving and actually making an impact in that ecosystem are far greater,” he says.

Microalgae also sits at the base of the soil’s microbial food web.

“Microalgae is actually the base of the microbial food chain,” Tuel says. “All the bugs and beneficials in the soil are feeding off of it.”

Rather than introducing microbes, the strategy is to stimulate the microbes already present.

“I like to say instead of a bug-and-a-jug approach, we are ringing the dinner bell for the microbes,” Tuel says. “It’s kind of an all-you-can-eat buffet for microbes to get them moving and active.”

Tackling Difficult Soils

For Wylie, improving soil biology could help solve one of the Central Valley’s most persistent challenges: poor soil structure.

Many orchard soils in the region contain very low levels of organic matter, which limits their ability to hold water and maintain structure through the growing season.

“We have about 0.5% soil organic matter,” Wylie says. “Our water holding capacity is very low.”

That lack of organic matter can cause irrigation problems later in the summer.

“A lot of times these soils as we’re irrigating during the season will lock up,” he says.

Early in the season, irrigation water infiltrates the soil fairly easily.

“You start with very good water infiltration in April, May, June,” Wylie says.

But conditions change as the summer progresses.

“By the time you get to July, August, when you really need it, it’s very difficult to push water down in the soil,” he says.

For farmers trying to manage water carefully in California’s dry climate, that creates a major challenge.

“These soils are not very functional for us as farmers,” Wylie says.

Tuel says stimulating microbial activity can gradually improve those conditions.

“When you get those microbes to start moving and firing, you’re going to start to build soil aggregate,” he says.

Better aggregation can help water move through the soil while also improving nutrient availability.

“If it’s a high-salt ground, we can start to leach out some of those salts,” Tuel says.

Algae may also influence soil chemistry.

“Algae is also going to help regulate the pH in the soil so we can start to free up some locked-up nutrients,” he says.

Thinking Long-Term

While installing an on-farm algae system requires investment, Wylie says he sees it as part of a long-term strategy for improving soil performance.

“In a biological system like MyLand, it’s about the same cost as a soil amendment program out here, depending on how much acreage you’re using,” Wylie says.

The difference is the system focuses on building biological activity rather than simply adding nutrients.

“But it’s a long-term solution,” he says. “It’s not going to work overnight.”

Instead, the goal is to strengthen the soil’s microbiome so it can better buffer environmental stresses.

“It’s actually creating a buffer by just supercharging the microbiome that’s in the soil,” Wylie says.

That biological activity may help address several common soil issues in California orchards.

“Everything feeds on it,” he says. “It’s overcoming high salt, high chlorides.”

Even trace mineral challenges may improve over time.

“In some cases in California, we have very high boron in some areas,” Wylie says.

He believes increased biological activity may help mitigate those problems faster than traditional soil-building methods alone.

“Microalgae being put into the system can actually overcome those salts that might take 10 or 15 years of compost and cover crops,” he says. “You can accomplish in a few years by using MyLand.”

The Pressure on California Farmers

The search for new tools is happening at a time when farming in California is becoming increasingly expensive.

Data from USDA shows the state continues to rank as the most expensive place in the country to grow crops, driven by high labor, energy and input costs.

Those economic pressures are compounded by growing regulatory expectations.

Wylie believes California farmers are already facing some of the strictest scrutiny in global agriculture.

“I think the state’s already looking at it very closely,” he says. “I think they’re going to put more pressure on farmers in California.”

Compared with other agricultural regions, he says California producers are operating under unique constraints.

“Other than the European Union, there is no one in the world that’s under as much pressure as a California farmer to change the way we do things,” Wylie says.

Because of that, he believes farmers must take the lead in finding workable solutions.

“We need to figure this out,” he says. “And I want to figure it out before the government gets involved and tries to tell me how to do it.”

Government incentive programs exist, but Wylie believes the real challenge is making soil health practices economically viable.

“They can offer me some incentives,” he says. “We have healthy soils out here. They give you a little compost and cover crop seed.”

Ultimately, though, growers need systems that work on their own.

“We need to figure this out and we need to make it economical and profitable before the state comes in,” Wylie says.

Because once regulations remove certain tools, farmers may have little room to adapt.

“Now you’re forced to figure it out with your back against the wall,” he says. “We don’t want that.”

For Wylie, the answer may lie beneath the soil surface where billions of microbes, fueled by algae, could quietly reshape how California farms grow their crops. And by doing so now, Wylie hopes he’s able to find ways to continue to grow productive crops in California, despite increased regulations.

Inside the Room: What Farmers Heard as USDA Rolled Out Its $700M Regenerative Ag Plan

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 20:54:32 GMT

When USDA quietly selected a small group of farmers to help roll out a new $700 million regenerative agriculture pilot program, most producers never knew the meetings were happening. Missouri farmers Jon and Brittany Hemme did, because they were invited into the room, sitting face-to-face with two cabinet secretaries and hearing firsthand how Washington plans to reshape soil health policy.

“We are very average farmers,” Hemme says. “It was a very humbling experience that we were chosen. My biggest takeaway is that I truly believe they’re trying to do the right things, bringing better health options to people through the way food is produced.”

Reinventing a Small Dairy to Stay Viable

Jon is one of three Hemme brothers continuing a dairy operation their father started 30 years ago. Today, the Hemmes operate the only dairy left in Saline County. Survival hasn’t come easily. As small dairies disappeared, the Hemmes reinvented their business model, adding on-farm processing and direct-to-consumer sales.

“That’s where our direct market part of our business came in, the creamery,” Hemme says. “Being able to go to processing and then direct market that end product has made us a viable operation yet as a small dairy.”

Their Hemme Brothers cheeses are now sold throughout Kansas City and central Missouri, but what also caught the attention of USDA was how they manage their land.

“We started planting cover crops the first time in 2017, got really aggressive by 2018 to where we tried to have all of our acres covered in one way or another,” Hemme says.

That shift began at the request of a landlord nearly a decade ago. Hemme says it pushed him to learn what regenerative agriculture really meant and how it could pencil out.

“We initially started just looking to try to reduce inputs to where we could keep a little more of our income,” he says. “For quite a few years we managed them that way trying to reduce our herbicide and we were successful, but that takes a lot of time and management. Here recently we’ve kind of mainstreamed it to where the main reason for them is erosion control.”

A Text Message From USDA

That work that started nearly a decade ago led to an unexpected invitation from Washington.

“We got a text message on Dec. 8 saying: ‘Would you and Jon want to come to USDA and be a part of Secretary Rollins’ announcement?’” Brittany Hemme says. “Thought it was a joke maybe at first, because it was so random. But we were on a plane the next morning and then with them in D.C. on Dec. 10.”

In the midst of the madness of the holiday season and school activities for their kids, the Hemmes went ahead and said yes, knowing this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

A First-of-its-Kind $700 Million Pilot Program

Not knowing exactly what USDA was going to unveil, at the event, USDA and HHS announced what they call a first-of-its-kind, $700-million Regenerative Agriculture Pilot Program, administered through NRCS. The goal is to test a farmer-first model that improves soil health while maintaining long-term farm viability.

“We’re doing things a little bit differently than typical Washington, D.C.,” said U.S Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins during the announcement at USDA. “We have encouraged the states to think differently and creatively as our laboratories of innovation about how to solve the many health issues facing America ... but really today is about the next step in making America healthy again, and that is talking about regenerative agriculture.”

During thee announcement, Rollins said the focus of USDA and HHS for the new pilot program was on protecting soil and is critical for farm productivity and longevity.

“Protecting and improving the health of our soil is critical not only for the future viability of farmland, but to the future success of American farmers,” she said. “We must protect our top soil from unnecessary erosion and boost the microbiome of the soil.”

But it wasn’t just USDA unveiling the new program. Rollins was standing beside Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who called the program a milestone tied to promises outlined in the MAHA Report.

“Among the recommendations of the report was the promise to make it easier for farmers in this country, farmers who are dependent on chemical and fertilizer inputs, to give them an off-ramp,” Kennedy said in December. “An off-ramp where they can transition to a model that emphasizes soil health. And with soil health comes nutrient density.”

An ‘Off Ramp’ for Farmers

When “U.S. Farm Report” recently caught up with the Hemmes to get their reaction, Jon says one of the key takeaways from the announcement is the structure of the pilot program and why that matters.

“It’s a five-year program, a five-year contract,” he says. “You can address multiple things in the same contract that you want to address. The farmer gets to pick his goal. They’ll develop a plan to help them achieve that goal, and then they’re going to quantify it with a soil test up front and one at the end.”

Along with the announcement, the Hemmes then had the chance to take part in a closed-door roundtable discussion with Rollins, Kennedy and Dr. Mehmet Oz, who serves as administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under Kennedy.

“They notified us that we would be in a roundtable discussion with Secretary Kennedy, Secretary Rollins and Dr. Oz; that made us pretty nervous,” says Jon, laughing.

Brittany says one word stood out during that discussion.

“He said ‘off-ramp’ several times,” she says. “I really appreciated that, because this is voluntary. There’s nobody forcing anyone to do this program. It’s not all or nothing. You can work with USDA NRCS and come up with a plan that is going to work for you on your farm, in your context.”

With no cameras in the room, Hemme says the conversation felt genuine.

“They wanted some feedback from farmers,” he says. “They allowed us to each go down the line and explain our operations, our motivations behind using regenerative agriculture, and then they followed it up with some really good questions.”

Those questions included market access and how long the transition takes.

“You could see him, the wheels turning,” Hemme says of Kennedy.

What Was (And Wasn’t) Discussed

Before Kennedy joined the cabinet, some farmers worried his focus would be on restricting tools like glyphosate. The Hemmes say that never came up.

“It’s been more voluntary, putting something out there instead of coming in with a stick,” Jon says.

“There was mention of tools in the toolbox, and there was no mention of taking any of those tools away,” Brittany adds.

As Brittany has watched Jon’s regenerative journey on their own farm, she says regenerative agriculture is often misunderstood.

“Some of the negative connotation has come in from an all-or-nothing mindset,” she says. “They demonize certain tools in the toolbox, and that’s unfortunate. True regeneration is what works in your context.”

Lessons From Their Nearly Decade-Long Journey in Regenerative Ag

For Jon, this really isn’t unconventional or something new. He says regenerative ag, to him, all comes back to building resilience in your soil.

“It is conservation, but it’s also trying to build resilience into your soil,” he says. “If you follow the soil health principles, minimize disturbance, keep residue on the surface, a living root in the soil, you will start to build carbon. You’ll hold more water, perform better in dry conditions, and handle weather shifts.”

But in the nearly 10 years of diving into regenerative ag, Jon says that journey didn’t come without mistakes.

“I was very aggressive when I started out, and I kind of set myself back,” Hemme says. “If I were to give any advice, it would be to start slow and safe.”

He points specifically to cover crops. He says by trying to put cover crops on every acre at the start, he learned the hard way that if you let those cover crops get too tall, it can actually negatively impact crop production.

“If you’re too aggressive up front, you almost constipate your soil,” he says. “Eventually that residue has to leave.”

As the Hemmes say, they still want to pinch themselves over a trip that seemed like a dream, it was those direct conversations with President Donald Trump’s cabinet members that made them believe USDA’s support of regenerative ag will be a practical approach and one any farmer can try or do.

What else should you expect when it comes to regenerative ag? That’s exactly what “AgriTalk” Host Chip Flory asked Richard Fordyce, USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation, just last week.

Dollars And Dirt: Navigating The Financial Reality Of Conservation Farming

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 20:47:18 GMT

Farmers like Ted Hamer and April Hemmes aren’t opposed to conservation practices or regenerative agriculture—both Iowa row crop growers already use some. What they are opposed to is taking on unmanageable risk in an environment of tight margins, volatile markets and rising input costs without clear, reliable benefits.

During their recent, wide-ranging conversation on AgriTalk, a central theme emerged: if policymakers and companies seek broader adoption of conservation and regenerative practices, they must pair expectations with practical, well-designed incentives.

Here are some of the key points the two farmers made during their discussion with Host Davis Michaelson.

‘Regenerative’ is Just Good Farming
When new programs are announced with big dollar figures and bold language, they often imply that farmers need to be “fixed.” That doesn’t sit well with farmers, many of whom have been stewarding the same land for generations.

As Hemmes, based in Franklin County, Iowa, puts it, many practices highlighted under the umbrella of “regenerative agriculture” are simply standards for good farming.

“What you’re saying is regenerative ag, I just call farming. That’s just what we do. Taking care of our ground and having healthy soils is what we farmers do because it’s our legacy to our family,” says Hemmes, who uses no-till, cover crops and water management practices.

In her and Hamer’s perspective, farmers are not resistant to regenerative practices. Instead, they dislike being told they are “farming wrong” by groups and individuals outside of agriculture who may not fully grasp the on-the-ground economic and agronomic realities.

Tight Margins Make Experimenting A High-Stakes Decision
Hamer, based in Tama County, Iowa, explains that adopting new practices—such as cover crops, reduced tillage, or diversified rotations—often means incurring upfront costs, significant management changes, and a lot of uncertainty.

“It’s terribly risky with the margins we have right now… I’ve got to make a buck… I can’t have it be so risky that I don’t see a return on my investment,” Hamer says.

This is the crux of the matter: even when farmers are supportive and willing to adopt new practices and technologies, the math has to work, and some profit must be realized.

Their collective perspective is clear: without robust ROI data, strong cost-share or incentive payments, and integrated risk-management tools (like multi-year contracts or crop insurance integration), shifting current practices is often unjustifiable.

“The margins are too tight to stick your neck out very far at this time,” Hamer says.

Incentives Must Include Technical Support
National agricultural announcements often tout the dollar amounts available, such as the recently announced $700 million Regenerative Pilot Program . While funding is crucial, Hemmes points to an equally pressing need: technical support in the field to help implement the programs effectively.

“They need more dollars for people in the field…. I’ve been a soil and water commissioner for over 30 years, and we are in desperate need for technicians out here. So, throwing money at this is one thing, but getting the people in place to carry out the programs is another,” she says.

When USDA service centers, Extension offices, and others at the local level are understaffed and technical assistance is stretched thin, good programs can stall at the farm gate. Hemmes outlines the requirements for effective incentives:

Adequate Technical Assistance: To help farmers correctly design and implement complex practices.
Reasonable Timelines: Recognizing that some benefits, like improved soil structure and organic matter, take time to develop and build.
Simple, Predictable Processes: Application and compliance should be straightforward.

Without the necessary technical support and manpower, Hemmes notes that even the best programs often just turn into frustrating paperwork exercises.

Aid Payments Don’t Fix Structural Issues
Short-term “bridge” or aid payments can help keep farms afloat during difficult years, but Hemmes and Hamer say they don’t structurally support the long-term decisions that can improve grower practices and profitability.

The main issue, they contend, is that much of the money from these aid programs never truly stays on the farm.

“This payment (the $12 billion Farmer Bridge Assistance program) isn’t for us. It’s all going to input costs, fertilizer, equipment. None of that money stays in our hands,” Hamer says.

Hemmes agrees, noting that people outside of agriculture often “don’t see what the problem is” because farmers are seemingly getting “free” money.

“It’s not like we go to Amazon and order a bunch more crap off there because we got some money,” she says. “No. It goes to everything we have to do to put the next crop in the ground.”

Ultimately, she believes, major policy change requires facing difficult truths.

“We’d love free and fair trade, but we know that’s not a possibility,” she contends. “It’s going to hurt to make a change, and I think that’s what politicians don’t like. They want to get reelected, so [their attitude is] ‘let’s just keep doing it this way.’ That’s the tough part of it all, because anything that revolves around changing policy is messy.”

Hear the complete conversation between Hamer, Hemmes and Michaelson on AgriTalk:

USDA Launches New $700 Million Regenerative Ag Pilot Program

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 22:24:32 GMT

USDA wants farmers to focus on soil health and producing more nutritious food. To that end, Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins, along with Robert “F” Kennedy Jr., Health Secretary, and Doctor Mehmet Oz, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator, announced a $700 million pilot program aimed at supporting regenerative farming. USDA says the Regenerative Pilot Program’s goal is to help American farmers adopt practices focused on improving soil health, water quality and boost long-term productivity.

“We are committed to restoring America’s natural strength by empowering producers with simple outcome-based tools,” Rollins says. “Producers at every stage, from beginners just starting with cover crops to advanced operators with years of conservation experience, many of those are represented by our farmers today, will find a pathway through this pilot.”

Rollins says the program will be funded through existing programs at USDA and allow farmers to pursue “whole-farm planning” instead of a piecemeal approach. The pilot will be administered through the agency’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

“Each producer’s results will be measured and credited back to the farmer through an outcomes report, recognizing and rewarding improvements they achieve on their own land,” Rollins says. “This initiative puts American farmers first as part of the solution to make America healthy again.”

Building Off MAHA

The announcement follows the Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy released in September.

Kennedy said the initiative promises farmers an “off-ramp” to transition away from chemical fertilizer inputs, “to a model that emphasizes soil health, and with soil health comes nutrient density through voluntary action.”

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is also investing in research on the connection between regenerative agriculture and public health, as well as developing public health messaging explaining this connection.

“We cannot truly be a wealthy nation if we are not also a healthy nation. Access to wholesome, nutritious and affordable foods is a key tenet of the Make America Healthy Again agenda, which President Trump has directed this administration to execute across all government agencies,” Oz says. “I commend Secretary Rollins and Secretary Kennedy for today’s efforts to strengthen our nation’s food supply.”

“This is another initiative driven by President Trump’s mission to Make America Healthy Again,” Rollins adds. “Alongside Secretary Kennedy, we have made great strides to ensure the safe, nutritious, and affordable food our great farmers produce make it to dinner tables across this great country.”

How Does it Work?

USDA released details about the program in a release. It says the program will be administered by NRCS, allowing producers to bundle multiple regenerative practices into a single application, saying it will both streamline the process and allow for operator flexibility.

In FY2026, USDA is dedicating $400 million through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and $300 million through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) to fund the first year of regenerative agriculture projects.

USDA says farmers and ranchers interested in regenerative agriculture are encouraged to apply through their local NRCS Service Center by their state’s ranking dates for consideration in FY2026 funding. Applications for both EQIP and CSP can now be submitted under the new single regenerative application process.

Regenerative Reaction

Farm groups and outside influencers are weighing in on the new pilot program announcement. Farm Bureau and President Zippy Duvall welcomed the approach while pointing out its still light on details.

“We value USDA’s acknowledgement that farmers have long practiced regenerative agriculture on their farms, both through federal conservation programs and on their own,” Duvall says. “Building on these efforts by leveraging existing voluntary and incentive-based programs to advance additional regenerative goals sounds like smart government to me, especially when farmers remain in the driver’s seat.”

Jerry Gulke: Is Your Future Truly Sustainable?

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 20:10:35 GMT

The term sustainability has been around for a long time. It meant something totally different to my parents who struggled to sustain their post-WWII agriculture way of life with the backdrop of the Great Depression still on their minds. Today’s culture associates itself more with the pursuit of achieving global environmental sustainability.

One definition of the term says sustainability refers to the ability to maintain or support a process continuously over time. It is that definition I can relate to best. In fact, my motto when I began writing marketing strategy for Top Producer decades ago was: Agricultural production should be afforded the standard of living commensurate with those professionals in the non-ag world.

It was the opportunity of writing this column that enabled the start of my marketing consulting firm, Gulke Group, Inc., over 30 years ago. Sustainability was a Top Producer mission before it was fashionable.

Sustainable agriculture was vogue back then in the form of contour, minimum and no-till farming to conserve moisture and help prevent erosion. Substantial progress was made in that area over the past three to four decades, making agriculture a pioneer in sustainability. For myself, and others like me, sustainability of the land and environment is nothing new under the sun — our success depended on it.

Preparation for the future and sustaining a way of life that was indeed commensurate with my other professional counterparts meant understanding my children would one day go to college, and preparing early for that expense was paramount to ending the tenure without debt. Mission accomplished.

I knew at about 21 years old that I would eventually get sick, as everyone does. Preparing for an emergency wasn’t a matter of if but when. Mine came in the form of triple bypass surgery over 20 years ago. I sustained that one without a monetary disaster.

Is Your Future Sustainable?
Retirement was in my future 50 years hence, and education (described in last month’s issue) helped me attain independence from others, and most of all from a banking institution. My goal was to start young to ultimately let my life’s work someday become a tool from which to clip coupons, similar to what a non-ag person would do investing in bonds or the stock market. Mine came slowly acquiring land over time that one day would cash flow my direction.

According to a report from the Federal Reserve, only about 35% of non-retirees felt their retirement savings was on track in 2024. Another report by the National Institute on Retirement Security in 2023 found the typical Gen X household had just $40,000 in retirement savings. I feel very fortunate to have picked my parents well and for life’s lessons in agriculture that afforded a sustainable retirement. The non-ag vocation did well using the DJIA as a reference, but I suspect the agriculture investment did as well when it comes to accomplishing my motto as described above.

My analysis of this DJIA chart is that it suggests we are doing a poor job of educating our youth at an early age about the benefits and opportunities awaiting citizens of the U.S..

(NYSE/Gulke Group)

Sustainability for me has been to use, to my best ability, the hand I was dealt. For me, I sustained the quality of life I longed for and will leave a legacy that says opportunities abound regardless of one’s vocational choice The U.S. SIF Foundation reports that U.S. ESG and sustainability-focused investments total $6.5 trillion. Yet we can’t find sufficient funds for health care, retirement security or education that is second to none.

The Declaration of Independence states that among the unalienable rights of all individuals are “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The phrase originally meant the right to pursue a life of virtue, community well-being and personal fulfillment, rather than solely pursuing personal pleasure or material wealth. Sustaining that life is not my right or entitlement, but an opportunity. If not here, then where?

Cashing in on Conservation: How Local Retailers Can Connect Agronomy With Market Opportunity

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 14:16:18 GMT

Recent research from Trust In Food places ag retailers as a trusted source of conservation information for the average farmer because a majority of them (55%) have farm experience themselves.

It’s something Nutrien Ag Solutions sees play out in their business each day. With more than 1,900 retail locations globally, Nutrien Ag Solutions is a leading provider of both inputs and advice for farmers who are battling constant challenges, both from agronomic and external pressures.

“The trust in the relationships our crop consultants have with growers is key to implementing the best agronomic practices over time,” says Sally Flis, director, Sustainable Ag Programs, Nutrien Ag Solutions. “As the trusted adviser, they are working with our growers 365 days a year to find solutions, evaluate problems and look for new opportunities to drive their businesses.”

Nutrien Ag Solutions has been capitalizing on that trust by rolling out conservation programs that can net farmers added income in exchange for continued conservation agronomy practices and data-capture, specifically around nitrogen management. The retail leader is hoping the programs will leverage agronomic practices and data into bottom line incentives for farmers.

“Good agronomy is the base of all sustainability programs, making sure we have the best tools, practices and products selected at a field level to drive production efficiency and return to the grower is what drives the metrics we look at for sustainability programs,” Flis says. “Our programs are focused on nitrogen management, an agronomic fundamental that growers and our crop consultants are working on every season to optimize return.”

Conservation programs through Nutrien Ag Solutions can help farmers secure added income in exchange for conservation agronomy practices and data-capture.

(Nutrien Ag Solutions)

According to Flis, the programs are paying off at the farm gate in a variety of ways, including:

Improved data collection
Access to sustainable ag reports with compiled field-level and operational data
Education about new tools, technologies and products to drive efficiency on the acre

Program enrollees begin the enrollment process with a registration into Nutrien Ag Solutions’ proprietary digital platform, Agrible . The company says the software uses predictive agronomic forecasts and sustainability metrics generated from in-field data. Through a variety of value chain connections, such as Ardent Mills and Bunge, Flis says the company is using that data to shape downstream sustainability goals within the industry.

But, Nutrien Ag Solutions is backing up this technology by doing what they do best, Flis says.

“We have the Sustainable Ag Field team, our crop consultants on the ground and Waypoint Analytical as resources to help growers select practices, collect data and analyze progress,” she says. “The level of support we provide means that the majority of growers that enroll in our programs make it to completion and receive payments.”

Payments vary and are based on outcomes, specifically a reduction in applied nitrogen by a minimum of 5%. The program has a minimum payment of $2 per acre but can rise as much as $4.89 per acre for long-term, no-till corn and $4.47 per acre for conventional tillage corn. Cotton producers, on average, receive $3.84 per acre for long-term, no-till practices. The program is applicable for winter wheat, barley and sorghum as well.

Nutrien Ag Solutions provides support for growers enrolled in conservation programs to help ensure success in the partnership.

(Nutrien Ag Solutions)

For Nutrien Ag Solutions, conservation programs sprang from enhanced market opportunities available through the carbon space and a desire to ensure those opportunities were optimized for the farm gate. Flis says Nutrien Ag Solutions, with their trusted grower relationship, was the natural fit to make that connection stronger, and they are consistently looking for more programs that align with that mission.

“The programs were designed after a few years of experimenting in the carbon space and getting feedback from growers and our crop consultants,” Flis says. “We blended those findings into the Sustainable Nitrogen Outcomes Program in the U.S. and Canada — shorter term agreements, carbon and other sustainable ag metrics calculated to meet grower and CPG needs, provide tools and products available to allow for continuous improvement, and pay growers for the outcomes from changes.”

America’s Conservation Ag Movement is a public/private collaborative that meets growers across the country where they are on their conservation journey and empowers their next step with technical assistance from USDA-NRCS and innovation solutions and resources from agriculture’s leading providers. Learn more at americasconservationagmovement.com .

Hurricane Helene: One Year Later

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 17:35:22 GMT

Chris White is 46 years old. For more than half of that time, he’s been a blueberry farmer in his hometown of Baxley, Ga. He’s seen a lot, both as a farmer and also as a resident in southeast Georgia, an area of the country that’s not quite hurricane ground zero but that can certainly find itself adjacent to the many tropical storms and hurricanes that make landfall each year.

But he’d never seen anything like what happened to his community the night of Sept. 26, 2024.

Located in the southeastern part of the state, Baxley was one of the many towns that took a direct hit from Hurricane Helene. Overnight, the hurricane pummeled the area with 100-plus mph wind gusts and rainfall that triggered flooding, resulting in 37 deaths in the state.

When White and his fellow farmers awoke the next morning, they were unprepared for what they saw.

One of the farms that makes up Appling Blueberry Farms had sat ripe with mature blueberry bushes just the day before. Now, it was decimated – the entire blueberry canopy flattened to the ground. Surrounded by debris, he recalls having to walk 3 miles on foot to get to his equipment shed.

“I drove the tractor back here to the field and when I pulled to the road and saw it, I just turned around and didn’t come back for six days,” White says.

“Just imagine the entire thing on the ground. “It was devastating,” he adds.

Down the road in the neighboring city of Alma, Randy Miller spent the morning with the same ache in his gut. Looking out on his family’s timber operation, Miller saw his 1,400 acres of timberland in shambles.

“We lost 300 acres of timber in the 30 to 40-year range,” he says.

Miller thought of his timber acres largely as his 401k — a savings he could grow to maturity and then harvest as a security blanket for retirement.

“I’m 64 years old, and that was basically my lifetime’s marketable timber that was gone,” he says.

Randy Miller had invested time and energy in growing a pinewood plantation that he hoped to market at maturity. Hurricane Helene’s 100-plus mph winds decimated 300 acres of his trees.

(Randy Miller)

The Clean-Up

While White remained in denial about his crop’s demise, Miller didn’t have the time. Even felled timber has a window where harvest remains possible, but time is critical. He started calling his timber cutting contacts, but he was already behind. Other landowners had called before him.

“It took months before they could get to us,” Miller says.

“Before the Hurricane, we sold 60 acres of timber worth roughly $4,000 per acre,” he says. “After it, we picked up 150 acres and got a check for $47,000.

“Some people got nothing, so we were lucky that we’d gotten $4 a ton for ours, which is basically nothing,” he adds.

In Baxley, White finally started ripping out his destroyed blueberry bushes. In order to plant more, he had to start from scratch and rebuild the field infrastructure, such as bark mounds and drip lines.

But then he couldn’t find plants.

“We called all over the U.S. to find plants,” he recalls. “We had plants come from Oregon and Florida. We really had to struggle to get them.”

Appling Blueberry Farms planted the last of its replacement bushes in February, which means that the new crop could not yield fruit this year. Grower Chris White will be able to harvest berries from the farm in the 2026 growing year.

(America’s Conservation Ag Movement)

White’s last new plant went into the ground in February. He says he’s not sure that any of that quick rebuild would have been possible without emergency assistance from USDA.

“The FSA Tree Assistance Program (TAP) was a very big blessing to put them back,” he says. “They paid an amount for the soil preparation and then so much per plant for the replant.

“It definitely wasn’t something that would bring you debt-free on it, but it was something that wouldn’t put you in a real financial bind,” he adds.

Planning for the Future

The devastation left in Helene’s wake wasn’t just plant loss for many farmers. The rushing water from torrential rain combined with the hurricane-force winds blew critical topsoil, sending it into nearby fields, ditches and roadways.

Part of the recovery for growers like White was moving and replacing dirt.

“We hauled in about 60 dump truck loads of dirt and put the soil back where it had eroded,” he recalls.

He wasn’t the only one. Neal Boatright, a fourth-generation farmer who grows more than 6,000 acres of cotton, peanuts and blueberries at scale, also had to get to work relocating soil on his farm. He noticed a difference in erosion in his no-till acreage and the areas where he harvest-tills crops such as peanuts.

“We brought it back from the lower side of the fields and put back and leveled and tried to fix it,” he says. “We have conventional tillage areas that wash worse.”

Growers such as White, Miller and Boatright have seen the weather changing around them. While they say they’d never seen a hurricane or tropical storm hit their region with such devastation as Helene did, they aren’t sure it is going to be the last one.

Their rebuilding plans are a combination of put-back and pre-planning for mitigation of future potential weather catastrophes.

In his rebuild, White worked to secure grants that would allow him to experiment with cover crops in between his blueberry rows. The farm that was lost totally last year now has a diverse cover crop mixture locking his soil in place.

Appling Blueberry Farms uses a diverse mixture of cover crops in between blueberry rows to protect soil from erosion. After the first year, grower Chris White says he sees a reduction in nematode and weed pressure due to the cover crop.

(America’s Conservation Ag Movement)

At one point in the growing season, his cover crop mixture stood 6 feet tall, towering above his blueberry bushes. In addition to protecting the soil, White says the cover crop is yielding other benefits as well.

“It dries the middle out a lot quicker because you have so much sucking the rain and that helps a bunch,” he says. “Because we planted several different plants, our nematode pressure has been way down and the weed pressure too.

“We’ll keep a cover crop here twice a year now, one in the summer and one in the winter,” he adds.

Boatright has been cover cropping his land and sees the benefits in preventing erosion as well as building organic matter in the soil.

“It not only saves erosion by that cover crop growing, it helps retain some nutrients for the next year, builds up organic matter and helps with suppressing weed pressure,” he says. “All that added together makes a good cover crop worthwhile.”

Lasting Impact

While growers and landowners have spent this past year cleaning up and putting their land and assets back together, many worry that the devastation of Hurricane Helen may have generational impact.

Kevin Eason didn’t have to destroy many of his blueberry plants, but even though they survived, the yields this year seem to be suffering.

“What we’ve come to realize is some fields that we didn’t think were damaged, production was down significantly,” he says. “What’s going to happen a year from now, two years from now, three years from now?

“What are going to be the lingering effects of what happened with the Hurricane?”

As he drives down the road on his land and in his community, Boatright can still see areas that harken back to the immediate aftermath of the storm a year ago.

“There was probably more wind damage from that one storm than all the wind damage I’ve ever seen in my whole life added together in this area,” he says. “This was devastating to the timber industry and will have years of effects.”

Miller is keenly aware of the generational impact that his timber losses will have for his family.

“It’s just a sickening feeling because you have totally lost your hearts, not just in the pocketbook,” he says. “I have a kid, and he has two kids that are coming up, and we want to turn it over to them in good shape.

“It’s not a one-year quick fix.

“This is going to take years,” he says. “Probably five years from now, we’ll still be able to ride through and see where this Hurricane hit us.”

One Montana Farmer's Fight to Break the Generational Cycle of Failure

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 13:43:16 GMT

Ryan Lankford hasn’t just seen failure. He’s lived it.

“My father definitely tried to discourage me from farming, because it wasn’t good,” he says. “I mean, we went broke.”

“We grew up relatively poor,” he says. “We leased all of our land.”

The Lankford family had an allotment on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, the 1,014 square mile land shared by the A’aninin and Nakoda Tribes in north-central Montana.

Lankford compares the arrangement to the Homestead Act. But, it was designed for failure.

“The hard part for us as Indians is that the title was held in trust by the federal government, meaning that we really couldn’t borrow off of that title,” he says. “We had no leverage for capital, no leverage to expand and so it really limited us on resources and what we could do with our land.”

But as an Army veteran, Lankford knows how to launch an offensive. When he came back to the farm to make it his life, he did so with a mission – use every tool at his disposal to protect his farm, his Tribe and his family’s future.

Fighting for Land Ownership

As a member of the Tribe’s Agricultural Expert Committee, Ryan has helped to chip away at the generational curse of Tribal land ownership.

“Now, our Tribe owns the land, and our ground goes out to bid first to the primary members of the tribe,” he says. “As a member I live here on my allotment, and I have the first right to go bid and negotiate with my Tribe without competition from the outside.”

Under the new arrangement, Lankford and his father have brokered nearly 10,000 acres.

“I was the first generation in my family to buy land,” he says. “That’s something I’m really proud of.”

He’s also tackling another land issue – how to manage absentee land ownership.

“There’s a lot of farm ground that’s being abandoned on our reservation, because it’s too hard financially to farm here,” he says. “We don’t have a lot of the same tools you do on the other side.”

His goal is to recover some of that abandoned and neglected land and seed it in native pasture ground in an effort to restore prairie lands to the region.

Fighting for Land Stewardship

He’s already managing diversified production on 10,000 acres, where he has a Red Angus herd of cattle and grows year-round wheat, canola, peas, lentils, chickpeas, flax and barley. He’s transitioned some of his acreage to Certified Organic to capitalize on the premium market.

His relationship with conservation on the land is intensely pragmatic. Lankford views it as another tool in his arsenal – one that helps him de-risk innovation and protect his bottom line.

“On the conservation side, what we try to do is make sure that we’re doing the best economically we can, because if we run out of money, we don’t get to play the game,” he says. “We can’t do a lot of the big experiences and trials, so we try practices out one at a time, like we might take a half section and do it and see what it works out.”

“And I think that’s our conservation journey -- seeing what works and what we can utilize on our farm.”

R.L. Lankford Farms manages diversified production including a Red Angus herd of cattle, year-round grain crops including wheat, canola, peas, lentils, chickpeas, flax and barley.

(America’s Conservation Ag Movement )

One lever that he’s used to accomplish that pragmatism is funding and technical assistance from USDA-NRCS .

In states like Montana, USDA-NRCS deploys Tribal Conservationists to tackle the unique land and management issues that tribes face.

Michael Kinsey, one of those tribal conservationists for Lankford’s area, uses his expertise to match a producer’s unique conservation goals to both funding and technical assistance opportunities within the federal agency.

“Like any big goal, there are several small steps that need to be taken to reach planned conservation outcomes,” said Kinsey. “We can help interested producers get started with smaller projects to test technology, different management strategies, incorporate traditional ecological knowledge and new conservation practices while building on what they already do.”

For Lankford, that looked like using the popular Conservation Stewardship Program to gain access to both guidance and funding to innovate use of existing technology. It wasn’t a silver bullet, but it was incentive enough for him to take the leap.

“We did variable rate fertilizer through the CSP, and it didn’t cover my cost of buying the tractor and buying the drill that did variable rate, but it gave me the motivation to expand our existing technology,” he says. “We did that on probably about 15% of our acres, and they helped me write a prescription.”

Fighting for Security

Lankford has seen what happens when there is no safety net for farmers. In 2024, he took national steps to start breaking down the barrier that agriculture’s intense amount of risk poses. His four-year term on the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) Board of Directors puts him at the center of the conversation around federal crop insurance administered by USDA.

“Our margins are so tight, and the risk is so great that we’re putting our whole lives into it,” he says. “I think that’s something other industries don’t understand—that there’s no safety net for us year to year.”

“We need that crop insurance to take as a marketability tool to our bankers and borrow money.”

Lankford has some very specific goals with his work in that space, which include protections for his fellow farmers against shallow losses as much as the catastrophic ones.

“Catastrophic insurance is a one-year fix to get your machinery lined up for the auction,” he says. “That’s not the fix. I think the fix for me is, how do we insure those shallow losses?”

“Because as a producer, I would rather pay a premium every year and not have any help, because that means I’m doing things right.”

Fighting for Family

Lankford is now in his forties, with six children who are into the normal things, such as basketball.

In your 40s, sometimes you take a hard look at your priorities. So, he went looking for a tool to help him tip the work-life scales more in his favor.

Now, when he leaves the farm in the hands of family and employees, oversight is readily available in the palm of his hands, courtesy of tractors with Starlink gauges.

“When I’m coaching junior high girls’ basketball, I can look at my phone and see if they are in the right field, applying the right things and if it’s timely and on-point,” he says.

He’s not the only one that is leveraging tools like precision ag technology to capture efficiency and work-life balance.

“Precision agricultural technologies afford farmers the opportunity to be more efficient through increased insights into their operation that assist and speed up the decision- making process while also bringing that precision into the field through the more precise placement of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides,” says Austin Gellings, senior director of agricultural services at Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), an organization that regularly publishes insights into equipment integration and adoption.

“This leads to less passes, less stops and, overall, more time.”

Lankford uses precision technology and Star Link internet on his equipment to capture efficiency on-farm, which allows him to manage labor even when he is off-farm.

(America’s Conservation Ag Movement )

For Lankford, that extra time in his day is time that he can spend with his family.

“That gives me the ability to live a life off the farm too.”

In his thirties, Lankford says he missed a lot of life. When he was off-farm, he was constantly worried about production. Now, though, he’s able to not only leave the farm for his family, but he can prioritize responsibilities that maximize his skills.

“And that’s one of the things that I see technology doing for me is giving me a way to say I don’t have to be married to the machine.”

Icing on that cake, for Lankford, is the ROI that his technology is unlocking.

“I need to make sure I am maximizing the capabilities of my equipment all the time and I think the technology is doing that,” he says. “It’s taking the operator error out of it so I can more closely pencil and get a better baseline of ROI.”

Gellings believes that the benefits of technology can reach all the way to the bottom line.

“In total, the increased efficiencies that an operation can realize through the use of precision ag technologies can often lead to less overall inputs with increased productivity, helping to both reduce cost and increase overall profits.”

Fighting for Legacy

In his tractor is when Lankford really starts to add up his ammunition and consider if it really is enough for him to leave the farm and the industry better for the next generation.

Is he doing enough?

He has a son and daughters coming up behind him, quicker than he’d like, and the work that he is doing today has stakes higher than they ever have before.

“There are times where I’m running this machine and we’re cutting 200-bushel and I think, ‘Man, it don’t get any better than this,’” he says. “But I’ve also ran this machine and cut seven bushel and thought, ‘Oh man, are my kids going to have what they need?’”

The stress is real. And Lankford knows that he’s not the only one who feels the tightness in the chest sometimes. He works with the Veterans Farmer Coalition to help ensure that his peers have the support they need.

But, that starts at home, so he’s working on taking care of his own mental health. He’s getting out of the sprayer more. He built a heated shop with an office that, critically, has a door. When things get tough, he shuts the door, leaves the building, leans on his kids, his wife or his church.

Because his kids need him to create an operation that they can take over someday. But, they also need a dad.

“It’s no better reward than working with your dad, I’ll tell you that right now,” he says. “There’s, not a person in your life that wants you to succeed more than your father.”

“I have that same feeling for my son -- that I want him to succeed.”

“If he wants to come back, he can come back,” he says. “But I want him to have the ability to say ‘I’m marketable--I can do anything I want to do, and if it happens to be farming, I’m going to be excellent.’”

America’s Conservation Ag Movement is a public/private collaborative that meets growers across the country where they are on their conservation journey and empowers their next step with technical assistance from USDA-NRCS and innovation solutions and resources from agriculture’s leading providers. Learn more at americasconservationagmovement.com .

America’s Conservation Ag Movement Adds Nutrien Ag Solutions to Coalition Strengthening American Agriculture

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 13:40:13 GMT

This article is published as part of America’s Conservation Ag Movement , which supports farmers and ranchers in building profitable, resilient futures for their operations.

Since its beginning in 2018, America’s Conservation Ag Movement (ACAM) has been dedicated to preserving the American farm family’s access to the tools, resources and education needed to grow the products that feed, clothe and power the world.

Today, ACAM welcomes Nutrien Ag Solutions , the world’s largest provider of crop inputs and services through a nationwide network of trusted retail locations, as the newest contributor in that coalition.

ACAM is a public-private partnership that brings together leading technical assistance and innovation through a farmer-led experience aimed at bridging the gap between the industry and farm-gate. Nutrien Ag Solutions joins other supporters in the coalition including Ducks Unlimited, American Farmland Trust, Syngenta, National Association of Conservation Districts, and Valent U.S.A.

“Nutrien is a strong on-the-ground resource to farmers nationwide,” says Andrew Lyon, America’s Conservation Ag Movement. “Their comprehensive agronomic expertise and commitment to sustainability through their industry-leading conservation programs will be a vital asset as we work to secure the future of America’s working farmlands.”

Nutrien Ag Solutions works side by side with farmers through its global retail network of local crop consultants, delivering agronomic expertise, digital tools and programs that help strengthen on-farm operations. By joining America’s Conservation Ag Movement, Nutrien Ag Solutions is expanding its efforts to share practical know-how and farmer-tested practices with a broader community. The company is dedicated to supporting strong yields today while safeguarding the land for future generations.

“We are proud to join ACAM and bring our deep retail network and agronomic expertise to this important coalition,” said Dr. Sally Flis, Senior Director of Agronomy, Environmental Health and Safety, Nutrien Ag Solutions. “Our goal is to help farmers adopt practices that improve soil health, protect water quality and strengthen long-term productivity, while demonstrating the positive role agriculture plays in addressing food security challenges. Joining ACAM strengthens our shared mission of advancing solutions that work for both growers and the environment.”

Each year, ACAM connects farmers and ranchers through on-the-ground farmer-led education and online community building bolstered by Farm Journal, Inc., the leader in outreach, business information and media for the agriculture market.

To learn more about America’s Conservation Ag Movement™ and its partners, visit www.americasconservationagmovement.com .

Farm Groups Offer Additional Thoughts On MAHA Strategy Report

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 22:23:22 GMT

As the dust settles from the rollout of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) strategy report – the action plan for the initial report which was released in May – farmers, farm groups and industry continue to assess what this latest document means to agriculture.

There was “a lot more transparency” in the process of developing the strategy report, released Tuesday, according to Brian Glenn, director of government affairs at American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF).

“It led to a more positive outcome in this report,” Glenn told AgriTalk Host Chip Flory.

That was not the case in May, when the initial report – which did not include farmers’ input – called out atrazine, chlorpyriphos and glyphosate as pesticides that are “exposure pathways” for potential chronic disease issues in U.S. children.

“Our biggest plea coming back into this August report was, ‘Please listen to the farmers. Ask us for our input.’ And they did ask us,” says Amy France, who farms with her family in western Kansas, near Scott City, and chairs the National Sorghum Producers.

“We had great conversations, and a big chunk of those conversations were directed to education,” France adds.

France addresses the MAHA report and her outlook for the sorghum industry at the AgriTalk link below:

Specifics On Soil Health And Precision Agriculture
What the Commission delivered on Tuesday was a 20-page report outlining 128 recommendations – a roadmap it plans to enact via a series of research projects and multiple federal agencies. Among those recommendations, pages 18-19 of the latest report specifically address “Soil Health and Stewardship of the Land” and “Precision Agriculture.”

The report says “USDA and EPA will promote and incentivize farming solutions in partnership with the private sector that focus on soil health and stewardship of the land,” and provides six specific actions. Read them and the entire report here .

Glenn told Flory that the NFBF had a mostly positive reaction to the report, which included several positive policy recommendations that support U.S. farmers and ranchers.

“There were recommendations to provide a foundation for a lifetime of smart choices, which include focus on American-grown fresh fruits, vegetables and meat. They included a recommendation on reintroducing whole milk into school meal programs. They took an opportunity to highlight efforts to prioritize and support voluntary conservation programs under USDA-NRCS and specifically mentioned the Environmental Quality Incentives Program,” Glenn says. “They even included a recommendation on highlighting EPA’s already robust pesticide regulatory process … with ways to optimize that robust process to accelerate innovation.”

While Glenn says the Commission acknowledged the safety and health of the American food supply, he stressed the importance of the Commission having continued discussions with farmers and farm groups.

“More engagement is needed [with agriculture] as there are a lot of recommendations in this report, asking for different federal agencies to look at different things, and I certainly don’t think this will be our only bite at the apple,” Glenn says.

“I think there will be more opportunities for us to engage, and that is really the message that needs to ring loud and clear for farmers and ranchers. I think us sharing our voice and story has led to a more positive outcome in this report, and I think we need to continue to do that,” he adds.

Glenn offers more perspective from the NFBF on the new MAHA strategy plan here:

New Tool Helps Farmers, Ranchers Identify Conservation Incentive Programs

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 23:55:23 GMT

Conservation incentive programs that fit your farm and specific agronomic practices and/or livestock are not always easy to identify and sign up for online.

But those hurdles could soon be problems in the past, thanks to a new online platform, the Conservation Connector, which was just launched this week by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC)

The new tool allows farmers, ranchers, and farm advisers to easily evaluate conservation incentive programs and connect with technical support at one online site, according to Ryan Heiniger, CTIC executive director.

As a fourth-generation farmer, Heiniger says he knows firsthand how challenging it can be to identify programs, companies and the individuals in charge of them who can provide more details in a phone call or an email.

“You might visit four or five government offices and a dozen websites, only to collect bits and pieces of information on those programs that would be a good fit for you. Our goal with the Conservation Connector is to bring all of that under one roof, so to speak, to help farmers, ranchers and advisers more easily find what is available in their area and fits with their needs,” Heiniger says.

The platform currently has around 500 programs and service providers in the Midwest that are participating, Heiniger says. He notes the tool is continually updated with the latest program offerings from trusted agencies, organizations and conservation partners. In addition, Connector.ag has no associated costs for farmers, ranchers and advisers to use.

“I want to underscore that it’s free for farmers; none of the information is behind any kind of paywall,” he says. “It’s also free for people who want to create a listing.”

The Conservation Connector is easy to navigate – it’s searchable by geography, commodity, incentive type, and/or management practice.

“We’ve made it easy for people who are on a specific mission to filter through,” Heiniger says. “You might be in New York looking for help with pasture renovation, and you don’t want or need to see what programs are available in Iowa. So, you can default right to New York. Or, you can default to a specific crop. The filters can help you ratchet down to the specific information you want to dive deeper into.”

Heiniger says the idea for Conservation Connector originated from Houston Engineering, the Nature Conservancy, and Open Team, and the CTIC invested the past 18 months in developing it.

CTIC invites farmers, ranchers, technical service providers, and conservation partners across the country to explore the platform at Connector.ag . You can provide feedback about your experience to help inform future iterations of the platform here .

Fusing The Best of Regenerative Ag and Smart Farming: Senator Marshall’s Take on MAHA

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 14:22:10 GMT

Having grown up as a Kansas fifth generation farm kid and spending many years as a physician, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, R-Kan., views the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda through a different lens than many of his Beltway colleagues.

“I delivered a baby every day for some 25 years in my hometown,” Marshall says. “And certainly, diet and nutrition are so, so, so important. When I came to Congress, this was one of the things I wanted to address. And I want to start by saying there’s no MAHA without American agriculture leadership.”

RELATED: MAHA Report’s Surprising Stance on Glyphosate, Atrazine Explained

While much of the recent reporting around MAHA focuses on unpacking the movement’s outwardly anti-pesticide bent , Marshall has fashioned his own, more conventional ag-friendly version covering four distinct pillars:

Increase American agricultural efficiency
Grow healthier, nutrient rich food
Unlock affordable health care access for millions of Americans
Focus on health care resources to combat the mental health epidemic

“I believe soil health leads to healthy food, which leads to healthy people,” Marshall says. “I hear the MAHA group and I hear the ag folks. I have a foot in each of those worlds, and I am trying to bring them together. Because guess what? American agriculture wants healthy children just as much as anybody.”

RELATED: Decode MAHA’s Potential Effect on the Agriculture Sector

Marshall believes MAHA can achieve that goal by embracing some – but not all – of the regenerative ag principles Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., espoused on the campaign trail. American farmers are already reducing chemical use with tools like selective spraying systems and mechanical weeding implements, but the senator knows there’s still meat on that bone. He views it less as a return to “40 acres and a mule” and more as a combination of pieces and parts from the regenerative ag playbook with precision ag technology generously sprinkled into the mix.

“Regenerative ag should be centered around precision ag and growing more with less,” he says. “We’re already using 60% less fertilizers and less pesticides. I think we must continue to decrease the amount of fertilizers and pesticides, so there’s less residue on that loaf of bread in the grocery store.”

Marshall is currently rallying Congressional support for the bipartisan Plant Biostimulant Act. This yet-to-be-ratified farm policy would streamline the FDA approval process under FIFRA for new, novel and natural modes of action. But the senator emphasizes the program must remain voluntary.

“About 5% of the farm bill is conservation practices,” he says. “So, I would streamline the FDA process and allow these biostimulants to be one of the options. It’s not a subsidy, though. I just want to make the regulatory process easier. And that’s going to make it more affordable, as well.”

More MAHA: 250-Plus Ag Groups Ask Trump Administration To ‘Correct’ MAHA Commission’s ‘Activities’

Another goal is for the American producer to embrace best-in-class crop production and sustainability practices. The Kansas senator points to one example from his home state as the creative and nimble thinking he wants to see American farmers embrace.

“We have a group of sorghum growers that have their own mill,” Marshall says. “And they’re selling that flour directly to the infant formula (companies) as well as to European markets. The EU has higher standards, so to speak, than America does, and so be it. I don’t know if they’re necessary, but I don’t make the rules. These Kansas farmers have cracked the code and they’re getting a premium for their sorghum right now, and all it takes is a little extra effort.”

Your Next Read: Can Pulse Crops Double Acreage by 2030? The Push to Include More Pulses in the MAHA Movement

Aligning Inputs with People, Planet and Productivity

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 22:30:41 GMT

This article is published as part of America’s Conservation Ag Movement , which supports farmers and ranchers in building profitable, resilient futures for their operations.

As the challenges facing agriculture grow more complex – from climate variability to shifting market dynamics – growers are increasingly looking for crop inputs that help produce abundant, healthy crops while safeguarding the land they steward.

Valent U.S.A. recently unveiled a new tool to help growers ensure that the inputs they are using to protect their crops act like silver bullets rather than shotguns. Through the Sustainable Solutions Portfolio, Valent has centered 47 broad-spectrum products that make up convention biorational and botanical products that cover both conventional and organic agriculture.

Validated by a third-party, the Sustainable Solutions Criteria aligns the company’s products with Sustainable Development Goals laid out by the United Nations in 2000, specifically around impacts to people, planet and productivity.

“Our parent company, Sumitomo Chemical, was one of the first companies globally to partner with the UN to support the SDGs and we have embraced five of those for our businesses in the U.S.,” says Matt Plitt, President & CEO.

Doubling Down on Sustainability

In January, Tiffany Dean joined Valent as vice-president of sustainable solutions, a move aimed at further threading this focus throughout the business.

While Dean has a large focus for the organization, for her, it all begins on the farm, where she says the organization is hyper-focused.

“Growers want to do right by their farms, by their soil and by their ecosystem,” she says. “They also want to make sure they’re maximizing profitability and productivity at the end of the day.”

Listening to growers and the organization’s channel partners in the retail space is how the company keeps that focus.

Tiffany Dean leads Valent U.S.A.'s Sustainable Solutions Team, which focuses on grower support in driving their Sustainable Solutions portfolio innovation and implementation at the farm-gate.

(Provided by Valent U.S.A.)

“We are hyper-engaged with growers because we know that they have a lot of challenges and opportunities to address,” Dean says. “We want to make sure that the solutions that we have today and the solutions that we have tomorrow are going to bring them value, so they can maximize inputs and ensure that that soil is going to be productive today and tomorrow.”

Innovation Through Sustainability

Over the next decade, Dean expects that the company will roll 20 new products into the market, the result of an arduous decades-long process to develop and gain registration for new agriculture inputs.

She says that the company’s “North Star” in that process is also the same one they use for their entire business – sustainability.

“We want to bring products into the market that are going to be the most beneficial to the grower and to the environment,” she says, adding that the majority of those new products are going be around the company’s plant growth regulator platform, but will also include seed treatments and herbicides.

“We have much innovation, investment and excitement around the Sustainable Solutions Portfolio,” she says. “But we need to make sure that we are using the grower as the voice of how we drive our business moving forward.”

Betting On Sustainable Productivity

Valent’s Sustainable Solutions Criteria ends with productivity and Dean says it is not lost on her how critical it is right now for America’s working lands to be working both at peak capacity and peak efficiency. The team is working to ensure that products in the Portfolio are optimized as well.

“Input costs are under an extreme amount of pressure right now, and so we want to make sure that growers are maximizing those input costs and gaining the benefit of everything that they are purchasing,” she says. “Through our biorational, our biological and our conventional portfolio we’re able to bring products that allows the grower to maximize their productivity while also not sacrificing the environmental aspects as well.”

In the short term, Dean says she is focused on listening so that she can build strategy for innovation that takes all of these factors into account for conservation at the farm-gate.

“We need to continue engaging with our customers and our partners to understand what is needed from growers, what’s needed from the value chain, and what’s needed at the end of the day to make sure that producers are continuing to maximize their productivity and profitability and are able to use our products to benefit them in many ways possible,” she says.

America’s Conservation Ag Movement is a public/private collaborative that meets growers across the country where they are on their conservation journey and empowers their next step with technical assistance from USDA-NRCS and innovation solutions and resources from agriculture’s leading providers. Learn more at americasconservationagmovement.com .

Natural Resources Conservation Service Lays Out ‘Farmer First’ Vision

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 15:12:51 GMT

“I started as a customer of NRCS first,” says Aubrey Bettencourt, chief of the USDA agency that helps farmers and ranchers manage natural resources on private lands. As a third-generation California farmer, Bettencourt is leading the effort to make the Natural Resources Conservation Service work more efficiently and effectively for farmers.

Outlining four efforts, Bettencourt and NRCS Associate Chief Louis Aspey laid out their “farmer first” approach at the 2025 Trust in Food Symposium in Washington, D.C.:

Upgrade technology.
Revive hands-on service through field offices.
Improve data management and use.
Simplify programs.

Tech Overhaul to Reduce Burdens

Consolidating five internal systems into a single mobile-based platform will allow NRCS staff and farmers to access farm data while sitting on the pickup tailgate in real time, say agency officials. The initiative, referred to as “One Farmer, One File,” is intended to reduce duplicative paperwork and streamline conservation plan development.

According to Aspey, the new system will allow farmers to enter information only once, with NRCS and partner agencies, such as Farm Service Agency and Risk Management Agency, handling verification behind the scenes. He also notes the agency is experimenting with artificial intelligence (AI) to help generate and certify conservation plans with basic farm data, which will get projects off the ground faster. [1] [2] Farmers will play a key role in providing a “reality check” in ensuring AI models accurately reflect real-world conditions, Aspey adds.

Improving rural broadband access [3] [4] [5] is essential to making the new system work, stress Bettencourt and Apsey. Without faster internet connections, agency service centers and farmers alike will continue to face what they call the “spinning wheel of death.”

Renewed Focus on Field-Based Service

NRCS was founded to provide one-on-one support and technical assistance, Bettencourt says, and changes are in the works to return to the agency’s field-based origins. While headquarter operations are being downsized, she says local service centers will remain open. The goal is to equip local offices with the tools and talent needed to meet farmers where they are.

The agency is reviewing staffing needs across its network of service centers, Aspey says, to identify and address regional gaps. Future hires will be fluent in the technologies used in modern production agriculture, such as drones, precision irrigation and autonomous equipment, Bettencourt adds.

Data Use and Farmer Trust

Knowing many farmers are wary of how their conservation data is used, Aspey says part of the agency’s modernization effort is to ensure data is not only protected but used in ways that benefit the farmer — such as helping them qualify for market premiums or regulatory recognition of conservation practices.

He also emphasizes the importance of streamlining recordkeeping across USDA, saying farmers should no longer have to submit the same information across multiple programs.

Partnerships and Program Tweaks

Bettencourt says NRCS wants to collaborate more with food companies, cooperatives and local conservation groups through existing vehicles such as the Conservation Partnership Program and Regional Conservation Partnership Program. She describes NRCS’s role in these efforts as the federal “gold standard” for conservation practice validation.

Within NRCS, agency officials are eyeing reforms to make conservation programs more accessible and responsive. For example, Aspey emphasizes programs must be designed to scale not just for large operations, but small family farms that typically face higher per unit costs. To better adapt to dynamic market conditions, Aspey says his team is considering tools such as payment schedules tied to inflation.

He points to the length and complexity of the easement process as a key barrier, saying simplification is a top priority. Acknowledging farmers have been frustrated with delays in the Conservation Stewardship Program, Aspey stresses farmers should be paid promptly after completing their work.

When it comes to program timing, NRCS deadlines often fall during the busy planting season, for example. NRCS officials say they aim to better align program timelines to farmers’ off-season schedules when possible.

Another target of farmer scrutiny is NRCS program language. Terms such as “eligible” and “accepted” might be familiar to agency staff, Aspey notes, but they can confuse or deter farmers who aren’t used to federal program jargon. NRCS officials say they aim to reduce this jargon to make programs more accessible. According to Bettencourt, they are also working to improve understanding of NRCS programs with other federal agencies, such as EPA, and food company partners. Her goal is “to be the farmer in the room,” so farmers get credit for engaging in voluntary conservation.

What Farmers Might Expect

If plans move forward, officials hope farmers will see faster service, reduced paperwork and improved access to mobile tools that allow them to work with NRCS on their own schedules. Bettencourt emphasizes changes are already underway but should be implemented in 2026.

“This is not a pipe dream,” she says. “We’re already demoing the system.”

According to Aspey, farmers will play a central role in shaping how that change unfolds — through feedback, collaboration and by challenging the agency to better reflect the realities of farming in 2025.

“You all are what makes the engine of the American economy go,” he says.

How to Grow the Next Generation of Agriculture: Start Small

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 17:46:38 GMT

Growing up in the Mississippi River Delta, Willis Nelson says his family’s 800 acres was the biggest farm he’d ever seen. When he and his brothers took over the operation, he dreamed of growing the operation to 1,000 acres, but he didn’t know how to start.

“I went to a field day hosted by Harper Armstrong and he had 2,500 acres and he was a black guy,” Nelson says. “Then I got involved with the National Black Growers Council and saw all the big growers and I thought 1,000 was not enough. It gave us a role model we hadn’t seen before.”

Today, Nelson, alongside his three brothers, farms 4,000 acres of corn, cotton, soybeans, rice and milo that spans over 100 miles in Louisiana.

(America’s Conservation Ag Movement )

Recently, Nelson and Sons Farm hosted a Model Farm Field Day for the National Black Growers Council that catered to the next generation with in-field experience and customized youth programming.

“We want to make sure these young kids understand where their food comes from,” says PJ Haynie, chairman of the National Black Growers Council and owner of Haynie Farms in Virginia. “When we look over our shoulders, we want these young kids to be coming up the field behind us. We know every one of these young kids might not be a farmer, but we want them to understand the value of agriculture and the opportunities that lie in agriculture.”

(America’s Conservation Ag Movement )

The next generations of Nelson and Sons Farm is filled with “too many cousins to count.” Most days, those kids are on the farm right alongside their family, lending a hand. Wil’Laddyn Nelson, Joel’Quavion Steward and Wil’Zaylan Nelson all like to drive tractors and help out where they can, but when they go to school, their peers don’t understand the lifestyle.

“They don’t know where their food comes from or what we do,” Joel’Quavion says. “They play video games on their phones a lot.”

The boys admit they play video games, too, but only when it rains or is too muddy to work outside. As soon as it is dry, they have to get back to work.

(America’s Conservation Ag Movement )

Nelson and his brothers have settled into their own niches and management roles on the farm. He says he wouldn’t trade his family operation, and he is cultivating that attitude with the next generation.

“I just started Nelson Next-Generation Farm where I am starting all the nieces and nephews farming,” he says. They are beginning with chickens, sheep, a cow and with their own muscadine crop.

Wil’Laddyn is already reaping the benefits: “I clean my eggs and sell them cheaper than the stores and I make money.”

“I want them to see another side of farming other than just big ag,” Nelson says. “I want them to come take over big ag, but first I want them to grow up into farming.”

“I’m glad to be in this family,” Joel’Quavion adds. “It’s a blessing. If it weren’t for my uncles, my aunties and my cousins, I don’t know what I’d be doing right now.”

(America’s Conservation Ag Movement )

Nelson says being part of the National Black Growers Council gave him role models to look up to as well as a sense of community within an industry that can sometimes foster competition and isolation.

Breaking down those walls between farms was precisely how National Black Growers Council cultivates the next generation across the nation, Haynie says.

“We are a non-profit whose mission is to improve the efficiency, productivity and sustainability of black row crop farmers, period,” he explains. “Black row crop farmers are the smallest herd of all black farmers in the country, and we figured if we could protect this small herd and create opportunities, the herd can grow.”

America’s Conservation Ag Movement joined the National Black Growers Council field day to learn how Willis Nelson is working with the organization to grow the next generation of row crop farmers. America’s Conservation Ag Movement is a public/private collaborative that meets growers where they are on their conservation journey and empowers their next step with technical assistance from USDA-NRCS and innovation solutions and resources from agriculture’s leading providers.

MAHA Report's Surprising Stance on Glyphosate, Atrazine Explained

Fri, 23 May 2025 19:15:38 GMT

Anxiety levels among some members of the agricultural community were off the proverbial charts going into the unveiling of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission’s report on Thursday.

The concerns were well-founded, based on the body of work done by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as an environmental lawyer, over the past decade. Kennedy, now U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, is long-known for opposing herbicides and other crop protection products, having helped win a 2018 lawsuit filed against Monsanto, the original producer of Roundup (glyphosate).

Yet, when the details of the 68-page NAHA Report became public, the hammer many members of the agricultural community expected would slam down on herbicides was more akin to a hard smack from a fly swatter.

AgriTalk Host Chip Flory credits the work of USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins – who has championed agriculture’s efforts to produce feed, fuel and fiber for American consumers and the global economy – as a key reason the Report was subdued on the topic of pesticides, namely glyphosate and atrazine. Flory talked with Rollins last week, well before the Report was released.

“I think the most important thing I can say here is that the comments about pesticides, based on what Secretary Rollins told me, I believe they were going to be much scarier for the farm community than what they ended up being,” Flory told U.S. Farm Report Host, Tyne Morgan.

“I think this MAHA Report and the lack of an attack on glyphosate and atrazine, I think this is all the evidence we need to prove that she very much has a say in what’s happening with this administration,” Flory adds.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall agrees with Flory, but added he was “deeply troubled” by what he read in the Report.

“We suspect USDA had a prominent role in the report’s recognition that farmers are the critical first step in the food system, but as a whole, the report falls short,” Duvall says in a prepared statement.

In addition to Rollins, there were call outs by farmers and  more than 300 agriculture organizations advocating for the preservation of science-based systems and credible data in their evaluations of products and practices essential to food and agriculture, leading up to the Report’s release.

Ag Weighs In On Report’s Muted Criticism Of EPA, USDA
The muted attack by the Report on crop protection products was not lost on ag industry groups, including the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA), which noted in a prepared release that the expected finger pointing at atrazine, glyphosate and chloripyrifos was “hidden in the Report.”

Specifically, the Report calls out the three products on page 35 of the Making Our Children Healthy Again Report , as part of its list of “exposure pathways” that can contribute to chronic disease in children.

The Report also soft-pedals its criticism of the U.S. regulatory system, noting: “…Regulatory and medical systems around the world largely evaluate chemicals or chemical classes individually and may be neglecting potential synergistic effects and cumulative burdens, thereby missing opportunities to translate cumulative risk assessment into the clinical environment in meaningful ways. The cumulative effect of multiple chemical exposures and impact on children over time is not fully understood.”

Ag groups including ARA, CropLife America and the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC) released statements in support of the U.S. regulatory system.

“[The MAHA Report does] not reflect the wealth of evidence developed over decades by federal agencies such as the EPA and USDA on the safety of crop inputs and food production methods. These institutions have consistently reaffirmed the safety and efficacy of the systems that help feed our country and the world,” says the NCFC.

Farmers And Ag Groups Need To Be At The Table
The National Farmers Union (NFU) praised the MAHA Report for its focus on the health and well-being of children, while also shedding light on the lack of opportunity farmers and other members of the agricultural community had to participate in the Report’s development.

“We urge the administration to include the voices of family farmers and ranchers … and to ensure that solutions are rooted in sound science, fairness and transparency,” NFU says in a prepared statement.

Jon Doggett says agricultural groups tried to get a seat at the table to provide input for the Report but were largely shut out of discussions.

“That really concerned a lot of people, and my phone started blowing up earlier this week. The ag groups were trying to get in to talk to (Secretary Kennedy), trying to have a conversation about what this is, and that didn’t happen,” says Doggett, former CEO of the National Corn Growers Association and now principal for Camas Creek Consulting.

What farmers want, with regard to the discussions around agricultural products, is decisions that are based on peer-reviewed, established science that’s well-documented, Doggett adds.

“They want a regulatory process that is transparent and allows agriculture to have an input, whether it’s on pesticides, seed oils, ethanol or whatever,” he says. “[There] needs to be good science used, and so far we haven’t seen the Department of Health and Human Services come through very well with good science.”

There is still time for agriculture to have a voice in the process. The Executive Order creating the MAHA Commission directs a second report, providing policy recommendations, be issued within 80 days.

Individuals who want to share their perspectives with the Trump Administration and Congress can submit a letter at https://www.farmervoicesmatter.org .

Your next read: Farmers and Farm Groups Push Back on MAHA Report

Beyond Barbed Wire: A Look At Virtual Fencing

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 19:51:53 GMT

The concept of virtual fencing technology has been around for decades but continues to evolve. Virtual fencing uses behavior modification based on audio and electrical cues from a collar device to keep cattle within a virtual boundary using GPS. The collar can be controlled by a phone, tablet or computer using cellular data.

The advantages of virtual fencing include:

Less logistically challenging
Less labor intensive
Greater management flexibility
Gives data on how, when and where cattle graze, allowing for better resource management
Cattle location tracking
Cost effective in certain situations

Learn how these four cattle producers and families are using virtual fencing on their operations.

eShepherd: Decrease Labor Costs and Increase Stocking Rates
Virtual fencing offers Wild Olive Cattle Company flexibility in grazing the dry, brushy country of their south Texas ranch.

Halter: Solar Charged Collars Aid Rancher Response to Summer Challenges
Before the summer heat sets in, Brent Hackley can move cattle from the comfort of his home using virtual fencing technology.

Nofence: Maximize Multi-Species Grazing and Small Paddock Advantage
Virtual fencing provides options for Mark Mueller’s small pastures and not-so-great physical fences.

Vence: Innovative Grazing Solutions Post-Wildfire
After wildfires scorched about half of their BLM allotment in summer 2024, the Thompson family was still able to winter graze thanks to virtual fencing.

(FJ/UA)

When considering virtual fencing, ask yourself these questions:

What are my objectives and goals with using this technology?
Am I going to use the technology year-around or for limited seasons?
Am I going to use the technology on private land and/or public lands?
Is it worth it to my operation to purchase VF technology?
Do I have good cell coverage or not?
Do I want to change batteries or not?

Your Next Read: Making Virtual Fence More Accessible to Ranchers

Next Gen Spotlight: Indiana Farmer Overcomes Challenges to Carry On Family Legacy

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 21:42:30 GMT

In 2011, when Aaron Krueger was a high school freshman, his grandfather was beginning to transition the family farm to the next generation. Krueger’s father, the next in line, passed away and his grandfather, who was having health challenges of his own, decided to sell his equipment and transition out of farming. Six years later, Krueger returned home with a degree from Purdue University and a plan to become the family farm’s fourth generation. Despite the obstacles in his path, he now works alongside his 86-year-old grandfather, growing yellow corn, soybeans and cereal rye.

Q: What have been your biggest challenges in returning back to the farm?

A: One of the biggest challenges I faced was putting together a fleet of equipment. Luckily, Grandpa still had the land base. He still had all the farm infrastructure, but he sold all the equipment. Acquiring reliable, technologically advanced — to the point I wanted — equipment at that time was pretty tough. There were several retiring farmers in the area who were happy to see their equipment go to a good place. They gave me a lot of good deals. We’ve upgraded to a point now where the equipment we have is reliable, and it’s the technology I want to use on our farm.

Q: What has helped you implement new initiatives?

A: I’ve been a main driver on our farm with the implementation of cover cropping. I’ve been able to access cost-share programs through NRCS, and I’ve worked with America’s Conservation Ag Movement for four years. We’ve been able to host a lot of meetings and field days in our area and build a network of producers where we can all gather up and get on the same page to share ideas and learn from one another.

Q: Have you received pushback in changing the way things have always been done?

A: The younger generation is more adept to adopting newer practices, and it did help me from a capital standpoint. We still don’t own any four-wheel drive or high-horsepower tractors. We only have a beat-up old field cultivator that we pull out every couple of years to level tile runs. My grandpa now drinks the Kool-Aid very heavily, but he’s kind of taken the stance of letting me do what I want to, and then he tells me later, ‘Well, I really didn’t think that was going to work out.’ But he runs the combine, so he sees that it works. I try to be transparent with him, and now he advocates the cover cropping for me.

Q: What’s your vision moving forward?

A: My long-term goal is more diversity. Right now, we’re just corn and soybeans, and last year we started growing rye. I see an opportunity in my area, and with the increase of cover cropping, to also grow other small grains to sell as cover crop seed. We recently got a seed cleaner, too. I’d like to integrate livestock as well. My father-in-law has Red Angus, so my wife grew up with them, and it would make her very happy for me to bring livestock to our farm.

Your Next Read: Texas Rancher Kimberly Ratcliff Trades the Big Apple for Community Beef Business

USDA Releases Approximately $20 Million of Paused Inflation Reduction Act Funding That Had Been Under Review

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 02:33:21 GMT

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced today that USDA will release the first tranche of funding that had been paused due to a review of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) allocations.

Following White House directives, USDA is honoring existing contracts with farmers, releasing approximately $20 million for the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP), the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP).

“American farmers and ranchers are the backbone of our nation,” said Rollins, citing regulatory burdens, environmental policies, and inflation as major challenges. She criticized the Biden administration’s handling of IRA funding but affirmed commitments to farmers who had already made investments.

.@SecRollins announced that @USDA will honor contracts that were already made directly to farmers and release the first tranche of funding that was paused due to the review of funding in the so-called Inflation Reduction Act.https://t.co/xQdmZFzkwp
— House Committee on Agriculture (@HouseAgGOP) February 21, 2025

This marks the initial phase of released funding, with further announcements expected as USDA continues its review to ensure taxpayer dollars support farmers and ranchers rather than unrelated initiatives.

Earlier this week, while speaking at the Top Producer Summit in Kansas City, Rollins told AgriTalk’s Chip Flory asked about the paused IRA funding earlier this week, specifically the status of EQIP.

“Any commitments that were made previously, we will, of course, fulfill those commitments,” Rollins told Flory. “That’s the only way to do it. Everything that is forward leaning, that’s what we’re really focusing on reevaluating in the current environment.”

You can hear the full interview between Rollins and Flory below.

Your Next Read:
30 Minutes With Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins In Her First Week On the Job

EPA's Final Herbicide Strategy Sets A New Trajectory For Applications

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 21:02:46 GMT

It’s been a long time coming, but now it seems to have gotten here in a hurry. Since the Endangered Species Act (ESA)was passed in 1973, the federal law established agencies must ensure no species listed as endangered or threatened could be jeopardized by actions within their regulatory authority. Until EPA’s Final Herbicide Strategy was published in August 2024, agriculture did not have clear guidance on what that meant for the application of pesticides. And now, we do for herbicides, with insecticides coming next and fungicides to follow.

“It’s been 50 years EPA did not develop methods to protect ESA species as it relates to pesticides, and then everything came at once because the courts were acting and dictating it was time to develop a plan,” says Bill Chism, a weed scientist with a career spanning industry plus 20 years with EPA as a pesticide benefit biologist.

From the Final Herbicide Strategy, there are four main changes to be aware of where a herbicide has the potential to impact listed species or its habitat:

Spray drift mitigations
Runoff/erosion mitigations
More restrictive mitigation in specific geographic areas called Pesticide Use Limitation Areas (PULAs)
Applicator will be required to visit EPA’s Bulletins Live! two, up to six, months prior to the application and follow current ESA restrictions for the pesticide product

While the new parameters add complexity, Stanley Culpepper from the University of Georgia, says it is a challenge ag retailers, distributors, Extension and crop consultants have an opportunity to help farmers rise to meet.

“This appears to be our way of life into the future,” Culpepper says. “It’s unfortunate how complicated it is, and it’s difficult to understand, but it’s our job to take the burden and simplify it.”

The first row crop product registered under the EPA’s Final Herbicide Strategy is Liberty Ultra, a glufosinate herbicide from BASF. Going forward, as products receive registration or go through the 15 year reregistration process for FIFRA, all will have to be evaluated against the Final Herbicide Strategy.

“It’s not everything immediately, so this year is a learning year about what we can expect,” Chism says. “We think it’ll take at least 15 years for all pesticides to have ESA assessments through that 15-year cycle for reregistration.”

Points-Based System
Culpepper says the ESA parameters are front and center in his local trainings this winter. The practices for pesticide containment in the field are assigned points for runoff mitigation (zero to nine points). The points are expected to vary by product, crop and geography, and PULA.

“When growers walk out of their county meetings, I want them to understand the ESA concept and if they are implementing enough mitigation measures to meet potential pesticide runoff point requirements,” he says.

For trainings across Georgia, Culpepper is matching potential mitigation measures offered with practices implemented by farmers in the geographic area.

“If you present the 40 or more mitigation options to growers, it can be time consuming and overwhelming,” he says. “Focusing on only the measures important to those growers in the room can speed up and simplify the educational approach. The goal is to get each grower to nine points, the maximum required, thereby ensuring herbicides applied remain on the field maximizing weed efficacy while making sure all tools in the toolbox are legally available to the grower.”

For growers who aren’t able to identify the nine points, Culpepper is collecting information on why they can’t accrue enough points.

“If there are good stewardship practices that aren’t getting points, then we need to develop sound science to support those practices and work with our regulatory partners to obtain appropriate credit and recognition of those practices,” he says.

Buffers Required
On the pesticide label, herbicides will be assigned buffer requirements. Per the ESA guidelines, the maximum downwind buffer distances for different application methods are:

Aerial zero to 320'
Ground boom zero to 230'

Droplet size and boom height are also considered.

Achievable Goals
There is a track record of growers and their advisers stepping up to meet necessary application requirements and steward pesticide products. Referencing the Using Pesticides Wisely Program that Culpepper helped implement in Georgia for 10 years, growers were able to reduce off target pesticide drift by 90%.

“Our goal is to always use pesticides wisely by applying them on target and keeping them there,” he says. “Although it is hard to see because of complexity, the overall objective of ESA is the same as ours. Thus, we are confident we can do this. We can ensure the product goes on target and stays there.”

This highlights the role of advisers who can help farmers navigate some previously uncharted waters and a new decision-making process.

Culpepper, Chism and others are encouraged by the changes EPA made to the Final Herbicide Strategy after receiving feedback from its initially released draft. Groups such as the Agricultural Retailers Association also advocated for further options and flexibility added into the final version.

“We are at an important juncture, and we need collaboration,” Culpepper says.

One sector that could potentially have more of an uphill challenge with the mitigation points are some of the specialty crop production scenarios that can often impact vegetable growers.

“If you are a row crop producer, you have many potential options when it comes to herbicides. But for some of our specialty crops, they only have only six,” Chism says. “And there are conservation practices certain crops can’t adopt. For example, I’ve never seen a no-till planter for broccoli. So while corn, soybeans and cotton may be taking baby steps, specialty crop producers may be taking leaps.”

Moving Forward With A Bit More Certainty
With the guidance of the Final Herbicide Strategy, Culpepper says he can help growers address the current ESA guidelines documenting how farmers are the true stewards of agriculture, “as long as EPA doesn’t move the goal posts and they continue their effort of working with us.”

EPA states in the rule that no pesticide has been fully removed from the market based solely on ESA risks, and “that remains an unlikely scenario in the future.” Instead, this agency action suffices to keep pesticide registration and use outside of courtroom litigation.

A self-proclaimed optimist, Culpepper says the Final Herbicide Strategy once completed allowed the opportunity to start moving products forward with Liberty Ultra as an example.

“The dam has cracked a bit since August,” he says. “It’s not a big crack, but we desperately need our regulatory partners to move new products forward much more quickly in support of our farmers.”

New Product of the Year Runner Up: RhizoSorb from Phospholutions

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 20:07:05 GMT

Launched in 2024, RhizoSorb from Phospholutions puts an emphasis on phosphorus sustainability from start to finish. It’s stood out in its first year on the market, and readers of The Scoop have voted it as the New Product of the Year runner-up for 2024.

“RhizoSorb is the first major step in 60 years to make phosphate more efficient from a mine to end use perspective,” says Craig Dick, Phospholutions’ vice president of sales and marketing. “Phosphate rock is finite, and the ability to stretch a unit of phosphorus further in the soil has a significant impact to both manufacturers and farmers.”

RhizoSorb 8-39-0 is a dry fertilizer that serves as a replacement for conventional phosphates and increases the availability and efficiency of on-farm use.

“It has the same handling characteristics as MAP or DAP but is twice as efficient and therefore costs less per acre for the grower,” Dick says. “We’re applying slightly less per acre but seeing the same amount of phosphorus be taken up by the plant. That’s while reducing the grower’s cost per acre for phosphorus by 15% on average.”

Because it can be used in the same way as MAP or DAP, RhizoSorb doesn’t require a change in application for users.

“If the grower broadcasts his phosphorus fertilizer, he can still broadcast RhizoSorb. If he’s a strip tiller, he can just replace his MAP with our product,” Dick says. “It’s a very easy swap for not only the grower, but for the retailers and how they’re used to handling products. They don’t need additional equipment to coat a product. It’s seamless.”

A Long Time Coming
While the product’s launch came just as farmers were looking to cut back expenses, the research behind the technology has been in the works for some time — originally developed 30 years ago by a Penn State professor.

“Our CEO, Hunter Swisher, was an undergraduate in that professor’s class, and he licensed the patent for the technology,” Dick says. “Over the last nine years, we’ve raised over $38 million and done nearly 600 trials.”

Spending less per acre while increasing the absorption of phosphorus has translated into strong commercial success for RhizoSorb and also provides unique efficiencies for retailers.

“As we’ve thought about the grower and manufacturer, we thought just as much about the retailer. They’re the linchpin to making this all work,” Dick says. “When they compare RhizoSorb to MAP, they can achieve a 20% higher margin than with the higher volume of MAP, and they’re still able to pass on a 10% savings to the grower. Then, they’re handling 33% less product in their warehouse.”

He adds that as phosphorus continues to be the least efficient of the three macro nutrients used to grow our food, there’s more work to be done to bring RhizoSorb to farmers.

“Our goal is to make phosphate more efficient, and that comes with making it more cost effective,” Dick says. “We want to further expand our market reach and continue to work on finding the right retailers and distributors to partner with and bring this to market in a very thoughtful way.”

Your Next Read: New Product of The Year 2024: Loveland’s Awaken FlowBoost

Choose Your Own Adventure: Online Tool Makes It Easier To Find Conservation Programs

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 15:40:53 GMT

Due to the growing number of climate-smart programs that are available to growers, it can be hard to navigate. That’s just what the Conservation Connector was intended to change.

Developed by The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) and its partners (The Nature Conservancy, Houston Engineering and OpenTeam), the Conservation Connector is an online directory that allows users to easily view and sort through the programs relevant to them in one place.

“There’s a huge growth in the number of program offerings out there to help farmers put conservation practices to work on the ground. It’s a little bit confusing for folks, because people don’t necessarily have any single place where they can go to find out what’s really available to them - other than just a generic Google search,” says Dave Gustafson, CTIC conservation connector project director. “The Connector is intended to be a very quick and easy-to-use tool right now that focuses on farmers to find all the programs and providers that are relevant for their location, for their commodities of interest, and for the practices and incentive types that are of interest to them.”

When using the Conservation Connector, growers and their advisers can filter the database by state, county, commodity, practice and incentive type.

(Conservation Technology Information Center)

The Conservation Connector can be found at connector.ag . Gustafson says the programs on the platform have been preloaded by CTIC staff, but there are plans to shift that in the future toward a self-registry process.

“We did our best to get very accurate information, and in many cases, the data resulted from a one-on-one interview between our intern and the program administrator. However, our process going forward is to request that all of those program administrators and service providers do regular quarterly updates to their information.”

And while the majority of programs currently on the platform are located in the upper Midwest, each U.S. state is represented - as well as Puerto Rico. That list will be expanding in the months ahead to also include more livestock offerings.

“We have been in conversation with a number of different partners, such as dairy and other commodity groups, to help make sure our directories are as accurate as possible,” Gustafson says. “The kinds of different conservation offerings that will be available in the connector will broaden significantly over time.”

The team plans to officially launch the farmer-facing side of The Connector sometime toward the end of August. For more detailed information on how to use the directory, check out the CTIC YouTube page .