NACD Soil Health Team and National Outreach - Berry
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The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) has been working to promote soil health for several years through outreach, education, and research. NACD developed a communications plan and toolkit of resources to help increase awareness of soil health practices among producers and the public. A key initiative was the identification of 150 Soil Health Champions - farmers who have adopted soil health practices and are willing to share their experiences. NACD is also supporting on-farm research through a Conservation Innovation Grant to quantify the economic impacts of soil health practices. The goal is to help more producers adopt soil health approaches to improve landscape health and resilience.
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NACD Soil Health Team and National Outreach - Berry
- 1. NACD: Growing (v) Interest in Soil Health Bethany Shively NACD Director of Communications 509 Capitol Ct, NE, Washington, DC 20002 bethany-shively@nacdnet.org 202.547.6223 www.nacdnet.org Bill Berry, NACD Communications Specialist Stevens Point, Wisconsin billnick@charter.net 715.341.9119 NACD Soil Health 2015
- 2. National Association of Conservation Districts • Represents 3,000 conservation districts • Districts are local partner in traditional conservation partnership • Dust Bowl was first soil health crisis • Soil health is return to our roots • Several NACD leaders are soil health pioneers • Locally-led, voluntary approach NACD Soil Health 2014
- 3. Briefly… • NACD, districts, partners working on soil health for several years • Focus today on outreach, education, community engagement, and… • 2014 CIG – Building team of Soil Health Champions – Cooperating with Datu on four research farms • Farms seek to quantify economic impacts of practices NACD Soil Health 2015
- 4. Focus groups and survey said… • Need more education • Need more outreach tools • Help producers lead the way • Help identify cost-sharing • Use soil health for weather adaptation NACD Soil Health 2015
- 5. Challenge and opportunity Big country, small staff • Districts in many settings • Soil health messages vary for different landscapes • Maintaining momentum • Educating our own staff • Tracking district activity • Leading from behind NACD Soil Health 2015
- 6. Have a plan • Developed by Communications staff • Shared with all staff engaged on soil health • Used as a tool to meet deliverables • Doesn’t “reinvent the wheel” NACD Soil Health 2015
- 7. 2015 Soil health tour: Spokane NACD Soil Health 2015
- 8. 2014 Soil Health Forum, Indianapolis NACD Soil Health 2015
- 9. NACD Soil Health 2015 Our tools and messages
- 10. Soil health resources • Soil Health webpage includes: • Resources for districts and partners • Education materials News • Events • Emerging Research NACD Soil Health 2015
- 11. Communications tools NACD Soil Health 2015
- 12. Soil health materials NACD Soil Health 2015
- 13. Then came the CIG • 150 Soil Health Champions • “Farmer advocates” • Increase producer and public awareness • Increase adoption • Including underserved NACD Soil Health 2015
- 14. Soil Health Champions • Seeking diversity – Farm – Range – Forest – Small acreage – Urban – Limited resource NACD Soil Health 2015
- 15. Soil Health Champions • NACD developed a nomination process – Soil health practices – Willingness to share experiences – Willingness to have practices showcased NACD Soil Health 2015
- 16. Soil health CIG: Research Producers want to know economic impacts NACD Soil Health 2015
- 17. In Summary… • Work smart • Don’t reinvent the wheel • Identify members’ needs • Have a team • Have a plan • Revisit and modify as needed NACD Soil Health 2015
- 18. Growing Interest in Soil Health Bill Berry, NACD communications specialist Stevens Point, Wisconsin billnick@charter.net 715 341 9119 www.nacdnet.org NACD Soil Health 2015 QUESTIONS? Bethany Shively NACD Director of Communications 509 Capitol Ct, NE, Washington, DC 20002 bethany-shively@nacdnet.org 202.547.6223 www.nacdnet.org
Editor's Notes
- A bit about NACD and America’s conservation districts
- Focus groups and a national survey guided our efforts The focus groups were comprised of producers and a few district and partner voices The online survey of conservation districts was conducted in2014
- Communications isn’t as easy as it seems! Here are a few of the challenges we deal with.
- Have a plan! Our soil health communications plan outlines what we need to accomplish and how we will do it. Communications team revisits the plan to assess progress. Communication with other staff is important, especially in a national organization. “NO SURPRISES.” A small staff that wears many hats can only accomplish so much. Part of our plan calls for identifying and sharing outreach and education materials used by our partners. Why would we not use the great material generated by NRCS’ soil health team? Many organizations are working on soil health now. We pick and choose the most relevant information for districts and their customers. But we also generate a lot of information, tools, materials that specifically target conservation districts, their customers and partners.
- And we host events, including the recent summer meeting in Spokane, Washington. It included a soil health tour in the hilly and arid Palouse region.
- In summer 2014, we hosted a soil health forum and tour in Indianapolis. More than 250 attended. Tours focused on soil health practices in Indiana, one of the leading soil health states in the nation.
- We design our communications tools and materials for conservation districts and partners. We focus on their needs.
- Our web site has several pages dedicated to soil health. They are updated monthly or more often if needed. We are especially interested in information that helps conservation districts incorporate soil health into their daily work plans.
- Our print and digital tools have national reach. Soil health is a regular feature of our national magazine and weekly e-newsletter. Our social media presence is growing.
- We have also created materials to assist districts and their partners. Fact sheets, logos, news release templates, PowerPoint presentation templates and other tools are made available to districts across the country. We vary them for audiences. They are simple but effective and help districts localize their soil health messages. For instance, our news release templates are tailored to urban and rural landscapes.
- NACD regional staff is working with state associations and partners to identify Soil Health Champions. We have an ambitious goal of reaching 75 by October. 150 in the course of the three-year grant. Local district engagement is needed Our communications team has assisted by developing communication materials for Soil health champions and districts. They include news releases and media talking points for districts and states that have champions. NACD assists in developing presentations, including PowerPoint templates.
- It would be easy to select all the Champions from the Corn-soybean belt. But NACD believes that soil health practices are beneficial on many landscapes.
- Challenges: Some regions are farther along with soil health than others State associations and local districts are busy with many tasks We ask that the Soil Health Champions and their districts be willing to “speak up” for soil health – they must be willing to participate in activities like tours, workshops and media interviews
- As the other part of our CIG, we are cooperating with Datu Research of North Carolina on four research farms where the economic impacts of soil health practices are being analyzed. This takes us back to our focus groups and survey. Producers told us they need to understand the economic impacts of soil health if they are to commit to these systems. The four farms selected by Datu and NACD are in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, two in Illinois, one in Iowa and one in Missouri. As you can see, the size and types of operations vary. One producer is limited-resource. “Yield” is only part of the bottom line. Inputs and their costs must also be factored into the net bottom line. This will build on the body of information that can help producers make decisions about their production systems.