Farmers for Soil Health

A coalition between the United Soybean Board (USB), the National Pork Board, the National Corn Growers Association and other supporters, Farmers for Soil Health was established to advance the use of cover crops to improve soil health, advance sustainability throughout the food value chain and improve farmer profitability.

The coalition seeks to double the amount of corn and soybean farmland using cover crops to improve soil health and resiliency by 2030, using a baseline as reported in the most recent Census of Agriculture published in 2017.

While cover crops have proven to deliver multiple benefits over time, initial start-up challenges can be a barrier to adopting the practice. In May 2022, Farmers for Soil Health was awarded a $95 million grant from the USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities to help farmers address these start-up costs, and in May 2023, the organization received $13.6 million in grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to establish personal, on-the-ground technical support for farmers in 20 states who are seeking to adopt cover crops. Crop advisors familiar with each state’s agronomic and production environment will help farmers select cover crops that offer the most soil health benefits, minimize issues during planting and add value to their overall production efforts. 

Beyond this important support in initial implementation of cover crops, Farmers for Soil Health is developing models for cost sharing and financial support for farmers implementing the practice, as well as mechanisms to measure and quantify the value of the practice over time.

For more information, please refer to the 2023 U.S. Soy Sustainability Overview. Titled “Partners for a Better Tomorrow,” the report highlights the partnerships fostered by U.S. Soy to drive innovation both on and off the farm.