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Buidling a Soil Health Partnership USHP.pptx
Breakout session Monday, February 10 at 3:45 p.m. The Utah Soil Health Partnership began in response to the state's low adoption rates of no-till (47th out of 50) and cover crops (45th out of 50). Initially launched in 2017 with small workshops, it has grown into a comprehensive program focused on education, research, and outreach, guided by the Utah Soil Health Advisory Committee. This presentation covered the past seven years of progress, key lessons learned, and the collaborative efforts that have fostered a commitment to soil health. Speaker: Tony Richards, Utah Soil Health Partnership and Brian David, USDA - Utah, State Agronomists
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Buidling a Soil Health Partnership USHP.pptx
- 1. Building a Soil Health Partnership UtahSoil Health Partnership
- 2. History of SoilHealth in Utah 1970s -2017 • Yielder no-till drills in dryland wheat production • “No-Till Phil” Rasmussen • Conservation Districts from Northern Utah, visited the Menoken Farm and purchased a rainfall simulator 2017 • North Cache Conservation District acquired a grant from NRCS to host workshops in the state for five years • Soil Health Cadre was formed
- 3. History of SoilHealth in Utah 2020 - Barriers and Lessons Learned • Limited Localized Knowledge • “Does Not Work Here !” • Access to Equipment • Traditional Mindset • “That's how my dad did it” • Risk Averse • “Once bitten, twice shy” • Need for a Support Network • “Tillers Anonymous” • Need for Formal Structure • “This isn't fun anymore”
- 4. The Utah Soil HealthProgram 2021 - H.B. 296 Soil Health Amendments Passed. Established Utah Soil Health Program under UDAF and Formalized the Partnership Established a Soil Health Advisory Committee Officially recognized the importance of soil health and set program priorities
- 5. Utah Soil HealthPartnership Purpose: to promote the adoption of soil health practices through increasing our understanding of soil health and its impacts on the productivity, economics, and environmental aspects of agriculture as well as how it benefits the general public of Utah.
- 6. Utah Soil HealthPartnership Goal: to increase adoption of soil health practices through incentive- based volunteer programs focused on demonstration, education, outreach, research, and implementation projects through the state.
- 7. Soil Health AdvisoryCommittee (SHAC) Voting members: • A minimum of 7 producers from around the state, including at least two irrigators • Utah Association of Conservation Districts (UACD) Representative Technical advisors: • Members from UACD, NRCS, USU Extension, Division of Water Quality, Farm Bureau, Red Acre Center, and more) Public meeting held each quarter
- 8. 6 Principles ofSoil Health 1. Know Your Context 2. Minimize Disturbance 3. Keep the Soil Covered 4. Maximize Biodiversity 5. Keep a Living Root 6. Integrate Livestock Know your local climate, ecology, and goals Use non-destructive practices Protect soil from erosion & weather Build up a complex soil ecosystem Manage the carbon cycle via plant life Graze animals to break down nutrients These principles are the guide for all practical and educational activities.
- 9. Interseeding Cover Cropsinto Corn Interseeding Project: 2019 to Date • 3 interseeders Purchased by Conservation Districts • $127,500 in Grant Funding • Equipment Purchase • Cover Crop Seed • Monitoring and Research
- 10. Interseeding Cover Cropsinto Corn
- 11. Interseeding Cover Cropsinto Corn
- 12. Utah Soil HealthNetwork - On Farm Demonstration (CIG) Demonstration Sites: 2022-2027 • 5 years - $3,269,097 • 17 On Farm Demonstration Sites • Field Days at 4 sites per year • Monitoring of agronomic, economic, environmental, and social impacts • Development of fact sheet and educational materials • 5 sites part of regional soil carbon research
- 13. Utah Soil HealthNetwork - On Farm Demonstration (CIG)
- 14. Soil Health EquipmentGrants Soil Health Grant: 2023 - 2024 • $1,000,000 from State Legislature • Required to partner with a Conservation District • Must be organizations work with agriculture producers • 20% Cash match minimum • Equipment included, no-till drills, virtual fencing, urban farm implements. Placed over 21 no-till drills around the state • Equipment impacted over 33,000 acres and used by over 142 individuals in 2024
- 15. Soil Health EquipmentGrants
- 16. In-Field Soil HealthAssessments In-Field Assessment Program - Started Oct 2023 • Assessors test and analyze the current state of soils • Provide a detailed report post-assessment and provide recommendations for next steps • Assessments come at no cost to the producer • Encourage producers to sign for cost share programs
- 17. In-Field Soil HealthAssessments Assessment Categories: • Soil Cover • Residue Breakdown • Surface Crust • Ponding / Infiltration • Penetration Resistance • Bipores • Water-Stable Aggregates • Soil Structure • Soil Color • Plant Roots • Biological Diversity Request an assessment:
- 18. In-Field Soil HealthAssessments
- 19. Agriculture Soil HealthOutreach Program (AgSHOP) AgSHOP Grant: 2024 - 2028 • 5 years - $550,000 • Biannual Soil Health in the West Conference • Local Soil Health Workshops and Field Days • Urban Soil Health Events • Tribal Soil Health Group • Factsheet Development and Translation • Partnership Marketing Collaboration • Field Staff Training Efforts
- 20. Soil Health inthe West Conference ● Biennial Conference and Pre- conference Workshops ● Showcase regionally applicable practices in practice ○ Producer presenters from UT, ID, NV, WY, CO, and NM ● 3-day event ○ Day 1: small group in-field workshops (separate ticket) ○ Day 2 & 3: Keynotes, breakout sessions, networking, and other conference activities ● Hosted in St. George, UT ● 2024 Conference welcomed about 350 attendees ● Next conference: February 2026
- 21. Partnership Staff Training Efforts •3 Day Soil Health Training Course for All Planners • Field Days for Staff • Cover Crop Management • Interseeding and No-till Equipment • Grazing Management • Statewide Field Staff Meeting • NRCS, UDAF, Extension, and Crop Advisors • Round Tables and Need Assessments
- 22. Implementation Efforts Two rainfallsimulators: • Logan, UT • Richfield UT Rainfall Simulator
- 23. Grants & Funding EQIP:The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is NRCS’ flagship conservation program that helps producers integrate conservation into working lands. Through EQIP, NRCS provides one-on-one support and financial assistance to help agricultural producers invest in solutions that conserve natural resources while improving agricultural operations. SFP: Strategic Funding Proposals (SFP) Offer opportunities for NRCS to work with partners to solve natural resource concerns in a strategically focused effort. Partners are encouraged to work with local NRCS District Conservationists (DC) to identify local resource issues that may be effectively treated in a 3 to 5 year timeframe.
- 24. Grants & Funding SFP:2020-2024 • South Bonneville Soil Health • Cache Soil Health Strategic Funding Proposal • Box Elder Soil Health Development SFP • Bear River Valley Soil Health EQIP-IRA: • Soil Health IRA fund pools since 2023 used for climate smart practices like. • Conservation Cover / Conservation Crop Rotation • No-Till / Reduced Till • Cover Crop / Soil Carbon Amendment • Mulching / Field Borders / Filter Strips
- 25. Lessons Learned • ConservationDistricts are Key • Producer / Locally lead efforts are the most effective • Principle based outreach / education builds better success • Don't get hung up on definitions • Involve the field staff • Contracts to don't = success • Everyone loves hats
- 26. THANK YOU Tony Richards,Soil Health Program Manager 435-452-2296, tdrichards@utah.gov Brian David, State Agronomist NRCS 435-740-0094, brian.david@usda.gov Request an assessment or sign up for the newsletter at utahsoilhealth.org Request an assessment Or visit us at utahsoilhealth.org
Editor's Notes
- #2 In 2017, North Cache Conservation District led an effort to promote soil health around the state through a series of workshops that brought in key speakers and soil health champions from around the state. This effort grew into what is now the USHP.
- #3 By 2020 we had held held three years of workshops in the state brining presenters such as Jay Fuhrer, Jerry Doan, Rick Biber, Keith Burns, Dwayne Beck, Don Reicosky and Brendon Rocky. But some barriers and lessons learned came to forefront. Though we had top quality presenters with years of experience, many would attend the workshop and say “that's nice and all but that is North Dakota not Utah, it doesn't work here!’ and they would dismiss the information. Other willing to try soil health practices were unable to due to limited access to equipment such as no-till drills. A Lot of resistance to trying new practices came for culture of following how their dad did things. Do to the failures in early days of no-till on the dryland areas the practice was viewed in a negative light. Those who were trying soil health practices felt alone. With th increase in the outreach efforts, the soil cadre had become inundated with more administrative task and less on the ground work it was originally focused on. A more formal structure was needed to handle the administration task, seek and mage funding etc.
- #9 Cooperative Agreement Grant from NRCS for a five-year collaborative project that will provide coordinated professional level outreach activities and events in Utah. Aims to enhance and build upon the previous outreach efforts of the Utah Soil Health Partnership and increase the number and quality of soil health events across the State.
- #10 Cooperative Agreement Grant from NRCS for a five-year collaborative project that will provide coordinated professional level outreach activities and events in Utah. Aims to enhance and build upon the previous outreach efforts of the Utah Soil Health Partnership and increase the number and quality of soil health events across the State.
- #11 Cooperative Agreement Grant from NRCS for a five-year collaborative project that will provide coordinated professional level outreach activities and events in Utah. Aims to enhance and build upon the previous outreach efforts of the Utah Soil Health Partnership and increase the number and quality of soil health events across the State.
- #12 Cooperative Agreement Grant from NRCS for a five-year collaborative project that will provide coordinated professional level outreach activities and events in Utah. Aims to enhance and build upon the previous outreach efforts of the Utah Soil Health Partnership and increase the number and quality of soil health events across the State.
- #14 Cooperative Agreement Grant from NRCS for a five-year collaborative project that will provide coordinated professional level outreach activities and events in Utah. Aims to enhance and build upon the previous outreach efforts of the Utah Soil Health Partnership and increase the number and quality of soil health events across the State.
- #16 Cooperative Agreement Grant from NRCS for a five-year collaborative project that will provide coordinated professional level outreach activities and events in Utah. Aims to enhance and build upon the previous outreach efforts of the Utah Soil Health Partnership and increase the number and quality of soil health events across the State.
- #19 Cooperative Agreement Grant from NRCS for a five-year collaborative project that will provide coordinated professional level outreach activities and events in Utah. Aims to enhance and build upon the previous outreach efforts of the Utah Soil Health Partnership and increase the number and quality of soil health events across the State.
- #21 SHASFS: Provide field level conservationists with an overall understanding of soil health and sustainability principles to guide them with recommendations for land management. After completion of this course, you’re able to evaluate soil health, have an understanding of soil quality/soil health indicators and their relationship to onsite/offsite effects of management; communicate soil health concerns to land managers and apply soil health and sustainability principles and conservation technology holistically to supply safe, healthy and abundant food and fiber and sustain ecosystem functions on agricultural lands.
- #23 Utah Focused Opportunities (UFO) is a strategic approach to identify and treat resources concerns through the alignment of Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and partner resources with locally led conservation efforts. As part of the UFO approach, Utah will allocate Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) funding through Strategic Funding Proposals (SFP) in accordance with national allocation requirements.
- #24 These SFP’s are for implementing Regenerative Soil Health Principles. In Field Soil Health Assessments are used to identify RC and document improvements. Many producers that obtain funding through these SFP’s use equipment from the conservation districts and Ag SHOP grant to implement their soil health practices.