The Soil Health Partnership. C-AGG discussion October 2018

Transcription

1 The Soil Health Partnership C-AGG discussion October

2 The Soil Health Partnership: our discussion today Mission and history of SHP Our people and partners Our network Our outreach Next steps 1 1

3 The Soil Health Partnership: everything starts with soil Our mission Provide quantitative and qualitative data to help farmers enhance economic and environmental sustainability for today and for generations to come. How we support our mission Farmer-led initiative Translational research across 140 sites Communications and education Collaboration and partnership 2 2

4 Soil Health Partnership: the road to Begun by The Nature Conservancy and Bayer (Monsanto) under the auspices of the National Corn Growers in 2014 Soon after formation, Environmental Defense Fund joined One-person (Nick Goeser) built this network, farm by farm Midwest Row Crop Collaborative signed an MOU with SHP in First contractors for field staff hired Full-time SHP staff National Wheat Foundation joined Continue to expand and shed light on healthy soil practices

5 A snapshot of SHP in 2018 We saw expansion to support our mission We have 141 farms representing ~6,000 acres Our field days, workshops, communications and outreach reached million acres We have 16 full partners and 100+ collaborators and related organizations We are now 12 FTEs (with 5 open roles), 3 contractors SHP has grown considerably over the past 5 years USD, millions $6.0 $5.0 $4.0 $3.0 $2.0 $1.0 $0.0 1 billion media impressions/circulation (387 million for all of FY17) 4 4

6 Our guidance and steer comes from our partner members and funders The Soil Health Partnership is an initiative of National Corn Growers Association with support from Partners Major Funders 5 5

7 Our partnership spans over 100 partners and collaborators 6 6

8 The people behind the mission our SHP team FTE Open position Contractor Shefali Mehta Executive Director National team Field team Anne Dietz Program Manager Stacey Stiens Program Coordinator Debbie Lewis Finance Assistant Elyssa McFarland Key Relationships Director Development manager Jack Cornell Field Operations Director John Stewart Indiana Lisa Kubik Iowa SD / ND Field Manager Abigail Peterson Illinois Alex Fiock Indiana Jacob Ness Iowa Simone Neuber Program Assistant Jenna Higgins-Rose Communications Lead Scientist Marketing Director KS / NE Field Manager Tricia Verville MN / WI Jim Isermann Illinois 7 7

9 Our network spans 15 states and 141 farms with diverse practices and objectives 2018 site details New 2018 Previous enrollees In 2018, our network has expanded further Adding over 7 more partner sites Started piloting Associate program with 25 programs enrolled Our network encompasses touches many acres Our farms cover ~6,000 acres Our field days, education and other efforts touched 30-40million acres 8 8

10 Our expansion in 2019 includes new states and breadth within our existing states 2018 site details Future sites New 2018 Previous enrollees We are exceeding our projected growth Our network stretches from Minnesota to Florida and Maryland to North Dakota 9 9

11 SHP States with Growers that have a Wheat Rotation 1010

12 Overview of our data set 135 farms across 14 states Each Full Partnership farm 165 measurements or metrics annually Crop input and management: 260 site years Soil sampling: 26,468 ( ) Aerial imagery: 4 years Strip-level yield points: 1,

13 2018 is first year we have statistically significant year-over-year data for comparisons Multi-year comparisons 2017 Year over Year comparisons Iowa = 12 farms Illinois = 4 farms Indiana = 2 farms Ohio = 1 farm Projected 2018 Year over Year comparisons Illinois = 17 farms Indiana = 16 farms Iowa = 22 farms Minnesota = 1 farm Missouri =1 farm Nebraska = 2 farms North Dakota = 1 farm Ohio = 1 farms Wisconsin = 2 farms Total multi-year comparisons in 2018:

14 Our economic assessments support farmers in daily decisions and drive further insights from the data Expenses Tillage No Till Strip Till Cover Crops Equipment $ $80.00 $ $ Seed $ $ $ $ Fertilizer $95.00 $90.00 $90.00 $75.00 Herbicide / Insecticide $40.00 $50.00 $40.00 $40.00 Insurance $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 Grain Drying / Handling $15.00 $15.00 $15.00 $15.00 Land $ $ $ $ Labor $35.00 $15.00 $27.00 $22.00 Other $10.00 $10.00 $10.00 $10.00 Total Expenses $ $ $ $ Total Profit/acre $11.20 $69.20 $32.20 $52.20

15 SHP Soil Health Reports Tracking changes over time 1414

16 Sustainability means economic viability

17 Integrate Tools for Soil Health Expanding Network Precision sampling Economics Cover crops Tillage Nutrient Management Soil sampling Yield Crop growth 1616

18 Our new Associate program augments our current Partner program and increases flexibility for farmers interested in SHP Partner program: our original program and the core of SHP 4 reps 2 treatments 1 acre sampling grids Routine, Cornell, SHNT Aerial imagery Yield Crop input / management (full) Automated reporting SHP Field Manager reporting (8 visits per year) Field events Associate program: our new program that increases flexibility for farmers Simplified comparison Routine and soil health samples Aerial imagery Yield Crop input/ management (reduced) Automated with Agronomist Automated reporting 1717

19 Developing integrated tools to facilitate collection at scale Automated Field Integration Investing in the Grower Experience Automate data collection Automation of soil sampling Mobility Seamless lab data transfer Value added scenario analysis

20 SHP Drone Program to augment our field data 1919

21 We use aggregate stability as an indicator of health Aggregate stability is a measure of how well soil aggregates resist disintegration when hit by rain drops. Cornell Manual How strong is the house you are building for your crops to grow in? If the walls (aggregates) are weak, there aren t spaces for your plants to grow and access nutrients, water, and air that they need to grow 2020

22 Does Good Soil Health Matter? High Yields Average Yields Low Yields Soil texture class Aggregate Stability Strip level data (n=329) Higher Productivity 2121

23 Water holding capacity increases in healthier soils Quantity of water that an amount of soil can hold for plant use.

24 The Soil Health Partnership uses media to support our education and awareness building Our media and communications is critical to sharing the knowledge from our work with farmers 2,300 media stories covering/mentioning SHP (415 media stories for all of FY17) 1 billion impressions/circulation (387 million for all of FY17) In the midst of our social media campaign, #SoilSmart 2323

25 Field days and farmer outreach is key SHP Field Days continue to drive engagement and connection: Jim and I held over 7 field days this summer in Illinois partnering with many organizations in the state to make each a success. We had turnouts that exceeded our expectations. For my first year with SHP I was excited to see the growers take the lead with discussing soil health and cover crops on their operation. The two photos showcase Dave Moose (Springfield, IL) who led discussions about his field equipment. Also, Greg Thorn (Stockton, IL) led a soil pit on his farm and had an awesome visual for the ratio of every kernel of corn harvested to how much soil is lost the farmers in our program are taking the opportunity at our field days to share their experiences, the good and the bad. As an agronomist I think this is one of the most powerful ways to get the discussion started of incorporating BMPs on the farm and what soil health means. Abigail Peterson, Illinois Field Manager

26 Research on the Farm- This year was great to have the ability to walk onto the field and scout with GPS guidance to make sure our plots are in the correct location. Making sure our farmers are implementing our protocols to the best of their ability is how our data will prove most useful for them. I loved taking agronomic notes this summer in looking at what differences the AMS is having on the cash crop development. Many farmers would stop and ask what I m seeing and are interested in any reports I can provide.

27 We continue to innovate and broaden to meet the immense demand for improved soil health Adding New Partners Starting our Associate Program Expanding to other commodities Expanding Territory Expanded to 114 farms in 2018 Actively enrolling Wheat farms this Autumn Working with roughly 25 growers now Wheat has joined us In discussions with Soy, Dairy, Pork, Cotton Sites from Maryland, Florida west to Nebraska & Kansas, and North to Minnesota New Associate sites in North Dakota & Tennessee 2626

28 Thank you! How to get involved: Website: soilhealthpartnership.org Twitter Facebook 27