Anna’s top six soil health resources
Adopting regenerative agriculture practices can seem daunting. Cargill recognizes that even the most advanced farmers benefit from the support of soil health experts and other farmers on the journey. We asked our conservation agronomist Anna Teeter to share her top picks for soil health resources.
“Building a local community can serve many purposes, such as access to equipment for trial, new techniques, a body of firsthand knowledge to guide your decisions, access or information to local cost share programs, and being able to share risk for new techniques,” says Teeter.
Here are Anna’s top six:
1. Soil health groups
- Non-profit groups like Practical Farmers of Iowa (Home - Practical Farmers of Iowa), American Farmland Trust (Home - American Farmland Trust), and the Soil Health Institute (Home - Soil Health Institute) generally gather great local and regional data and offer educational events.
- Local soil health groups provide one-on-one connections, farmer members share their personal experience, and mentor programs and support resources are available.
2. Extension and universities
- Many universities perform soil health research, which can provide information about new technologies, crop rotations, herbicide usages, and great technical resources.
3. Local champions and mentorships
- Talk to your neighbor who’s already implementing soil health practices on their farm. They likely have tips and will be excited to see you trying new things.
4. Soil and water conservation districts
- Your local SWCD can offer equipment services, cost share programs, events and access to local experts.
5. Natural Resources Conservation Service
- The NRCS can help connect you to financial support and cost sharing opportunities, along with technical expertise.
6. Local events
- Look for events with words like “soil health” or “regenerative agriculture” in the name posted online or in local gathering areas.
- Each of these resources offers different types of information and ways to connect, so try more than one to see what works for you. If you feel you need additional support, sign up to receive updates, attend meetings or events, and pick up any available resources.
If you have questions or want to learn more, reach out to Anna Teeter at 952-742-2343 or anna_teeter@cargill.com.