National Healthy Soils Policy Network
“The Network has been instrumental in helping us strategize our campaigns and outreach efforts for developing soil health policy in Ohio. The Network is a wonderful opportunity to work and connect in community and not in competition.”
- Lauren Hirtle, Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association (OEFFA)
National Network Impact Report
January 2024
Evolution of the National Network
The National Healthy Soils Policy Network (“National Network”) is a farmer-forward community of practice that supports sustainable agriculture and family farm organizations across the country to win state policies that scale up the use of healthy soils and climate-resilient practices on farms and ranches.
CalCAN launched the National Healthy Soils Policy Network in 2018 as a way to build upon the momentum of California’s early climate-resilient agriculture policies and support similar action in other states and at the federal level. CalCAN supports the National Network with fundraising, staffing, and strategic leadership. This Five-Year Impact Report, released in January 2024, was drafted to provide a review of the progress made since the launch of the National Network, as well as fodder and focus for future development.
28 Member Organizations – and growing!
Starting in 2018 with 14 farmer-serving member organizations representing 13 states, the National Network has grown to include 28 member organizations, expanding our collective reach in more than half of the states in the country (as of Jan. 2024).
Representatives of member organizations gather for our second
in-person meeting held in Davis, CA, November 2022
Our member organizations are nonprofit organizations or coalitions which share a mission to serve and support sustainable, organic, beginning, minority, and/or family farmers with education, training, organizing, and/or policy advocacy. Our members work in their states to advance farmer-informed policies that support farmers and ranchers in using practices that improve soil health and have other climate and environmental health benefits.
An interactive map of the National Network. Zoom/click to learn more about each member.
5 Years of Impact
Since the formation of the National Network in 2018, our members have played active roles in the introduction of 62 pieces of healthy soils legislation, the successful passage of 31 bills and the creation of 7 state healthy soils programs. Outside of California, they have secured at least $48 million in state budget appropriations for healthy soils incentives and programs as of January 2024.
Furthermore, well-attended monthly meetings provide frequent opportunities for members to learn, share inspiration and ideas, workshop their campaigns, and co-create a community of practice. The National Network has convened over 60 virtual gatherings and trainings including two in-person convenings. The National Network maintains a Resource Library of workshop recordings, training materials, research articles, and model legislation.
The National Network also provides mini-grant funding to members to support farmer and rancher education and leadership development on healthy soils policy. After five annual cycles of mini-grants, the National Network has distributed 77 awards to 27 unique organizations, with an average award amount of $5,265, totaling $405,434 as of January 2024
As outlined in greater detail in the report, the National Network employs four intersecting sets of strategies to support member organizations in advancing state-level healthy soils practices:
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Policy Incubation: We share examples and approaches to using public policy and public funding that scale up the use of healthy soil practices and contribute to more resilient, healthy, and just farming systems
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Learning Laboratory: We share campaign strategies, stories, messaging, and educational materials
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Community Building: The National Network provides a space for organizational representatives to connect with each other and build relationships which facilitate information sharing and collaboration, and also provide the kind of mutual support and encouragement which comes with community.
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Shifting the Conversation: We lift up farmer voices across the country to create a new narrative about the constructive role agriculture can play in addressing the climate crisis.
Our members credit many of the support strategies employed by the National Network for increasing the impacts of their organizing efforts and helping advance their respective campaigns. Our collective achievements are a testament to the collaboration and commitment of our members, active across 26 states and supported by an extensive network of advocacy organizations at local, regional and national levels.
Learn More and Read the Full Report
This report celebrates our collective progress in the healthy soils movement and lays the context for the future of the National Healthy Soils Policy Network. Please take a look for a deeper dive into the activities of the National Network and the incredible work of our members. We look forward to continuing this momentum together.
This Impact Report, released in January of 2024, summarizes our efforts over the last 5 years and lays the context for the future of our work.
