AFT recently released a Soil Health Toolkit on the Farmland Information Center website.
Michael Shulman
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There is a lot we can learn from a field by taking a closer look at the soil. For farmers and others who depend on the soil to produce, it’s standard to look outward for the best advice or most popular solutions to ensure the soil will behave accordingly. This search for the “best” or chasing new trends is inefficient and can lead to highly varied results. Before changing an agricultural management practice, like tillage or cover crops, or deciding what support might help, it is worth slowing down and asking what the soil is showing us.
Learn how American Farmland Trust's latest research is helping shape more effective conservation planning, climate disaster relief, and soil health programs by centering farmers' experiences and expertise.
Discover how American Farmland Trust's Integrated Whole Farm Planning Pilot is helping New England livestock farmers strengthen farm viability through business planning, conservation support, succession planning, and peer networks that build long-term resilience.
Discover how American Farmland Trust and Island Grown Initiative are advancing soil health through reduced tillage, biochar, and living clover trials.
Learn more on how Brad Buttrey helps farmers implement conservation practices that enhance soil health, improve water quality, and support human and non-human communities in Tennessee.
Learn how Crooked Porch Farm in Virginia uses high tunnels, soil health practices, EQIP funding, and farm grants to grow vegetables year-round while building a sustainable family farming business.
Discover how a childhood garden inspired a career in soil health, regenerative agriculture, and conservation. Learn how biochar, composting, and land stewardship can help farmers build healthier soils and more resilient agricultural systems.
Discover how regenerative soil health practices can improve farm profitability, resilience, and long-term sustainability while strengthening rural communities and food systems. Learn about the latest economic tools, research, and resources helping farmers make informed conservation decisions that support both their bottom line and the future of agriculture.
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This winter, I hosted a series of informal “virtual coffee chats” with farmers across Illinois. These conversations started with a simple goal: to provide ongoing agronomic support to farmers participating in ADM’s re:generations™ program in Illinois. Through its partnership with ADM, American Farmland Trust works directly with producers to offer agronomic advice and support as they adopt and expand their use cover crops, reduced tillage, and other soil health practices.
Farmers and farm workers gathered to discuss cover cropping strategies at Sungrounded Farm in the high desert of Terrebonne, Oregon, this past March.
Biochar — a carbon-rich material made by heating organic matter in a low-oxygen environment — has emerged as a potential tool for building soil organic matter, improving water retention, and storing carbon long-term. But for many farmers, biochar still feels more like a research concept than a practical option.
Caro is AFT New England’s Soil Health Program Manager, where she organizes farmer networks, provides technical support, and conducts research on agricultural practices and soil health. From perennial gardens to peer learning spaces, her work is rooted in connection — to land, farmers, and community. Read on to learn what she’s planting this spring and the farm lessons that continue to shape her work.
There is a lot we can learn from a field by taking a closer look at the soil. For farmers and others who depend on the soil to produce, it’s standard to look outward for the best advice or most popular solutions to ensure the soil will behave accordingly. This search for the “best” or chasing new trends is inefficient and can lead to highly varied results. Before changing an agricultural management practice, like tillage or cover crops, or deciding what support might help, it is worth slowing down and asking what the soil is showing us.
Learn how American Farmland Trust's latest research is helping shape more effective conservation planning, climate disaster relief, and soil health programs by centering farmers' experiences and expertise.
Discover how American Farmland Trust's Integrated Whole Farm Planning Pilot is helping New England livestock farmers strengthen farm viability through business planning, conservation support, succession planning, and peer networks that build long-term resilience.
Discover how American Farmland Trust and Island Grown Initiative are advancing soil health through reduced tillage, biochar, and living clover trials.
Learn more on how Brad Buttrey helps farmers implement conservation practices that enhance soil health, improve water quality, and support human and non-human communities in Tennessee.
Learn how Crooked Porch Farm in Virginia uses high tunnels, soil health practices, EQIP funding, and farm grants to grow vegetables year-round while building a sustainable family farming business.
Discover how a childhood garden inspired a career in soil health, regenerative agriculture, and conservation. Learn how biochar, composting, and land stewardship can help farmers build healthier soils and more resilient agricultural systems.
Discover how regenerative soil health practices can improve farm profitability, resilience, and long-term sustainability while strengthening rural communities and food systems. Learn about the latest economic tools, research, and resources helping farmers make informed conservation decisions that support both their bottom line and the future of agriculture.
This winter, I hosted a series of informal “virtual coffee chats” with farmers across Illinois. These conversations started with a simple goal: to provide ongoing agronomic support to farmers participating in ADM’s re:generations™ program in Illinois. Through its partnership with ADM, American Farmland Trust works directly with producers to offer agronomic advice and support as they adopt and expand their use cover crops, reduced tillage, and other soil health practices.
Farmers and farm workers gathered to discuss cover cropping strategies at Sungrounded Farm in the high desert of Terrebonne, Oregon, this past March.
Biochar — a carbon-rich material made by heating organic matter in a low-oxygen environment — has emerged as a potential tool for building soil organic matter, improving water retention, and storing carbon long-term. But for many farmers, biochar still feels more like a research concept than a practical option.
Caro is AFT New England’s Soil Health Program Manager, where she organizes farmer networks, provides technical support, and conducts research on agricultural practices and soil health. From perennial gardens to peer learning spaces, her work is rooted in connection — to land, farmers, and community. Read on to learn what she’s planting this spring and the farm lessons that continue to shape her work.
