The People of Soil Health Podcast

It’s no secret that, when it comes to cover crop seeding, farmers are always trying to balance a tight timeline and impending weather in the fall. Especially during wet or cold autumns, getting into the field in a timely manner after cash crop harvest – and being able to give your cover crop enough time […]

Many farmers would look at Jason Lay’s operation in Bloomington-Normal, Ill. and count him as one of the lucky ones. Rich, productive soils. Supportive landowners. Neighbors who are interested in what he’s doing on his farm. But, according to Jason, that doesn’t mean he can get complacent. “I’ll just start it off by saying this […]

If you could choose only three words to describe Trinity Creek Ranch in Red Lake Falls, Minn., you would probably land somewhere in the realm of diversification, innovation and family. That combination of values is why we’re so glad to have Mikayla Tabert from Trinity Creek join us on The People of Soil Health Podcast. […]

Kansas State University Soil Microbiology Professor Charles (Chuck) Rice has always been interested in science and nature. A biology-turned-geography focus in college turned his attention to soils and water. Now, he revels in the new field of soil microbiology. “Soil microbiology is a young field, compared to some of the chemistry and physics components. Over […]

Iowa Corn has several major goals that drive programs and projects for their sustainability platform: Protect and improve the land, water, and natural resources Minimize regulations on farmers that could potentially reduce profitability Maintain farmers’ social license to operate Be a leader in sustainability, making sure that sustainability is a part of all programming Ben […]

AgEvidence is a new online dashboard where farmers and soil health experts can access cutting-edge research into the impact of soil health practices in the U.S. Corn Belt. Dr. Steve Wood, Senior Scientist for Agriculture and Food Systems for The Nature Conservancy and AgEvidence project lead, believes the tool gives access to foundational data on […]

For Lisa Kubik, SHP Field Manager in eastern Iowa, learning about soil health is a two-way street. “Honestly,” she says, “Working with SHP, I learn as much from my farmers…as they probably learn from me, which is really unique and really neat.” One of those farmers is Roger Zylstra from central Iowa, who has been […]

When Keith Byerly made the transition from Precision Ag Manager on the ag retail side of the industry to Soil Health Partnership (SHP) on the education and research side of the industry, he didn’t realize the two roles would feel so similar. “Being a trusted advisor on the grower’s farm, you’re working on a relationship […]

Darrick Steen, Director of Environmental Programs for Missouri Soybean and Missouri Corn, says his pathway to an interest in soil health starts with a turkey farm and a father involved in state politics. He grew up watching heated political and regulatory debates around animal agriculture and the environment. Eventually, he found his way to soil […]

Kent Solberg is a livestock and grazing specialist for the Sustainable Farming Association, as well as a field consultant for Understanding Ag, and a farmer. He is interested in the ability of well-managed soil to transform farms, families, and even communities. He believes diversity is key. “We’re focusing on these key principles of soil health: […]